Recettear: The Start of Everything
by PaulXion
Summary: An old story I found. Everything was alright at Recettear. Sales were fine and all the debt Recette owed was paid in full. But all is not well when she is targeted by an assassin with a blood debt by her father. Recette will need the strength of her friends to make it through as the threat of a civil war loomed in a neighboring country.
1. Chapter 1

**Recettear: The Start of Everything**

**Chapter 1: Those Innocent Days**

**(Pensee) (Recettear)**

The sound of an old style doorbell echoed at the landmark shop of Recettear that morning signaling the arrival or departure of another satisfied customer. Here on the hill of Pensee stood a humble little item shop owned by the charming Recette and her cold calculative partner, Tear.

It had been a slow morning for the owners of Recettear with very little customers passing through their doors. Only a few gentlemen and a little girl came by to purchase a few oddities from the shop and leaving rather abruptly as if they were in a rush to leave.

"Hmmm… there aren't a lot of customers today." Said Recette as she gazed hard on the window only to see a few passerbies glancing at the many exotic items she had on display.

"Agreed. It does seem rather unusual." Tear, the little yet mature fairy nodded in agreement. It seemed rather odd for people to simply pass by without coming in to sate their curiosity. Even those that made orders of books, bracelets and charms have failed to receive them. Even the Guild Master who was so insistent on ordering a variety of weapons was nowhere to be seen. This was most unusual.

"Hey Tear. Are you sure you flip the sign to open?"

The little gray fairy scoffed. "Of course I did. That is the first thing I normally do whenever you decide to open the store."

"Then why aren't there people coming in?"

"Merde. You can't expect people to walk in whenever you'd like something sold." Tear explained bluntly. "Obviously they have lives of their own to live. There are a lot of circumstances to why people aren't coming today."

"Euh!? Could it be that there's a worldwide flu that's taken over the people making them too sick to go out the door?"

"That's only one case scenario that we—"

"Or there's a grand-sale in Budkin's Bakery where they're selling three cakes for the price of one!"

Tear raised one of her gray brow in her partner's theory. "Well… that does sound viable. But I highly doubt they'd make that much cake for just—"

"Or maybe the monsters from one of the dungeons broke into the chocolate factory and stole all the chocolate! Eeeeeeppp! That's scary!"

It was clear to the little fairy where her friend's overactive imagination was going. "Your reasoning has gone from flu to sweets. Merde. I should've seen this coming."

"There's no time to waste Tear! Grab all the weapons and armors you can carry!" Recette urged quickly going through the back inventory.

"For what in god's reason would we need so many weapons?"

"We're going to the adventurer's guild!" Tear could only stare in puzzlement of that answer. "If the monsters are attacking the chocolate factory then we must get the adventurers to stop them at all cost!" Before the little Fairy could interject, Recette had already gotten all the plate mails and weapons that they had been saving for the Guild Master.

"You do realize that everything you said has been a figment of your imagination, right?"

"Figme wha?" Tear almost face palmed herself when she heard the door bell clinging her back to attention and hearing her partner go "Welcome to Recettear! Oh?"

"Yo Recette." A rather young man entered greeting the shopkeeper in a casual manner. His unkempt hair and his warm attire spoke much of his origins making it easy for the locals to differ him as a foreigner.

"Good morning Louie." Recette recognized the scarf wearing adventurer the moment he stepped through the door. "Sorry, but all of our cheap scarves were sold out last week. You'll have to come back again tomorrow."

The boy literally had a giant sweat drop appear on his head. "What kind of a greeting is that? Just because I'm normally broke doesn't mean you have to appeal my sense of cheap knockoffs."

"I apologize for Recette." Tear added. "But seeing as you constantly purchase the cheapest quality items we usually have for sale, we assumed that you would do the same on this basis."

"Have you two put me in some imaginary category in some imaginary folder?" Louie sighed seeing how his closest friends treat him as such a haggler. "Anyway, I'm here to pick up some stuff."

"Eh?" Recette tilted her head in a confused gesture. "Did you order something from us earlier?"

"I see no record of such." The gray fairy confirmed as she double-checked the names on her ledger. "I am matriculate on such recordings. What items did you request at the time?"

"It's not for me. It's for the Guild Master." The boy corrected. "He's busy arranging the festival at the plaza with everyone else so he sent me to pick the stuff up in his place. Let's see… he ordered… three pieces of armors. Do you have it?"

"Eh? A festival?" Recette's ears perked.

"Yeah. The… Harvest Festival or something." Louie tilted his head up trying to recall the event. "They say they're holding it tomorrow and there'll be free stuff. With dancing and singing."

"Ah… I remember hearing of that." Tear recalled. "Something that they hold once every two years to commemorate one of the best seasons of agriculture. I did not know that it would be held so quickly."

"Muuuu…"

"I hear its going be a grand one too." Louie added recalling the many stalls that will be placed in the plaza. "People from the other towns are also coming and even some nobles from the capital."

"Muuuuu!"

"What a marvelous event." Tear cheered. "Such attractions are excellent standings for businesses. With the increased tourism this will undoubtedly spring profits for us. Right, Recette?"

"Muuuuu!"

"Recette?" The two quickly noted the oddly silent girl bursting with joy.

"HARVEST FESTIVAL!" She exploded. "All you can eat cake buffet! Fireworks! And cake! And the music! And the cake! The games! Oh! And the cake!"

"I should've expected nothing less from you, Recette." Louie smiled charmingly.

Tear also agreed that she expected her partner to say something like that. For a girl, it seemed like her stomach had complete control of her mind. "Indeed. For some reason I'm hardly surprised of that reaction. It would certainly be good for our business if the Merchant's Guild decided to order large amounts of stock from our inventory."

"The Guild Master was looking for someone to supply the stalls with games. I can go over there and ask for the details." Louie volunteered.

"That would be most efficient. Please send our regards. Oh and before we forget. Recette." The girl in question looked back puzzled. "The order for the armors."

"Ah right. That'll be 54300 Pix. Please and thank you."

"There's no beating you in prices Recette. I'll take it." Happily, the young Swordsman paid and loaded the goods into his pack. "I'll be back later this afternoon if the Guild Master has anymore work for me. See ya."

And with a final wave, the morning sale ended at Recettear.

One would expect the shopkeeper to rest after a big profit from such a sale. But not Recette. The moment those doors closed, she put the 'Close' sign on the door and pulled out her running shoes like they were the most important thing of the day.

"Where are you going?" Tear asked looking from the counter.

"It's the Harvest Festival! That means there's a sale on Billy's Bakery! The baker there sells these delicious choco-covered cakes with cherries on top. They make it every Harvest Festival and I want to be the first in line!" Grabbing her coin pouch, Recette ran off leaving much undone.

"W… wait! Recette! We still need to clean up the attic like you promised! Ah… merde. That girl is stubborn the moment she has her mind on something. Wait for me!"

**(Docks of Pensee)**

Two men garbed in expensive leather clothes disembarked one of the larger ships that docked in the port of Pensee. The first who had his cutlass fastened to his hip, and a military uniform hidden under his clothes scanned his surroundings, taking in all the sights that this peaceful city had to offer. He looked well within his forties and struck a rather curly mustache that was well groomed.

"So this is Pensee?" He asked his companion. "A rather backwater of a place, is it not?"

"Yes my lord." The younger officer answered, humbled by his commander's presence. The younger man bore a sharp dashing raven hair and with deep eyes with colors to match. The armor he wore spoke much of his profession. "It is also the perfect place to scout for new recruits."

"You think so?" The commander spoke a bit unconvinced. "These peasants barely look like they could handle the weight of a sword."

"Fear not my lord. I will handpick only the strongest amongst the rabble. You need not worry on your reputation."

"Hmph. If you are so inclined." The older gentleman submitted harshly. "Very well Philippe. I will be attending with Lord Gustav later this evening so I shall pass on this matter to you. The Royal Guards will be arriving here in a month's time. You have until then to form this ragtag group that you so hope to make."

"Thank you for your trust, my lord." The young man carefully lowered his head in a bow, all the while smirking under his lips. "You certainly won't be disappointed."

**(On the way to Billy's Bakery)**

Billy's Bakery. One of the most humble bakeries in the city of Pensee, was opening its doors for the first time of the day. The smell of freshly made bread leaving the stove made all heads on the streets turn. The birds in the sky were attracted to its aroma and the various cakes on display boasted on the skills of the bakers.

Slowly but surely, customers were attracted and were readying their purses for grand purchases. But before any of them could reach the door, a hurricane of dust rushed through, revealing Recette with fiery passion burning in her eyes.

She ran all the way from her shop just to catch a glimpse of the cake. Back then when she was still in debt, her budget over meals were extremely tight. But thanks to all her payments, nothing was there to stop her. Her gaze fixed itself towards the super chocolate cake that was placed on the display window and before the next words left her lips, she entered and demanded the said cake like she was preparing to hold up the whole store.

"Thank you for your purchase!" The baker waved farewell to his first customer of the day.

"Sank you fwoh theh cake!" Recette had her mouth full of that cake when she replied. She savored every bite, every frosting, every cherry top like it was heaven sent. She didn't even bother with all the looks she got from the pedestrians as she gorged on her sweets.

"Recette!" Tear, her fairy accountant showed up panting heavily like she just flew a marathon.

The girl simply welcomed her like it was just another beautiful day in Pensee. "Oh Tear. You made it. I saved you a slice."

"Ah thanks—no! That's not it!" Tear burst out. "How could you just leave the store like that? You didn't even bother to lock the door. What would you do if burglars suddenly stole all of our valuables."

"Eh? But I already put the closed sign on the door. Shouldn't that be enough to tell them that we're not open?"

If Tear's hands were any bigger, she probably would've face-palmed her friend to show how silly that sentence was. Recette probably mistook that sign to be some kind of magic barrier that kept people out of the shop. Not surprising as her shop hadn't suffered a single burglary since its grand opening which was quite surprising. If such a thing were true, the value of having guards patrol the streets would lessen significantly.

"Just because you have a sign out doesn't mean people won't come in uninvited. Seriously, you need to stop taking things for granted."

"Aww don't be like that Tear. Come on. Have some cake. It's really good."

"No thank you." The fairy declined. "Unlike you, I have a strict diet on what goes in my body."

"Eh? But didn't you have that big cheese the other day and the day before?" Recette recalled the meal she had a few days back. "Wait… if you're watching at what you're eating then… does that mean…?"

"Guuu…" Tear held back trying to avoid her partner's gaze. "Wh… where are you looking at?"

"Tear? Did you… gain…?"

"I did not!" The gray fairy yelled in panic. "I am perfectly in shape!"

"Aha! I knew it. You really did gain weight!"

"Recette!" Tear jerked a tear. "Don't say something so absurd out loud!"

"Mwahahaha! Chubby. Tear got chubby!" Recette poked her friend's tiny belly as she teased. "Now that I mentioned it… you have been flying a bit low lately."

"I… I am not!" Tear refused to accept it. "I simply enjoy the warm weather in lower altitudes. If you haven't noticed. Spring is almost at an end and it will be getting colder as you go higher." But Recette's grin simply irritated her more. "And stop with that stupid grin of yours! It's disturbing."

"Ahehehe. Don't be sad Tear. I'm sure you can compensate by flying few laps around the city. You'll be back in shape in no time. Now here. I saved you the best piece."

"Are you attempting to make me lose weight or gain weight?"

"Aha! So you do admit that you've gained weight!"

Tear jerked back, cursing inwardly to her carelessness. "I said nothing of the sort. I was merely stating your constant contradiction of words."

"Hai hai. Now eat up before the cake gets spoiled."

Finally, the gray fairy admitted defeat and joined her partner for a lovely morning at the plaza watching the preparation of the festival get underway.

In all her time living with Recette, Tear never once saw the plaza busy as it was now. Sure, she came here from time to time to enjoy a relaxing stroll around the fountain, but this was probably the first time she saw so many humans in one place. All around she could see familiar faces that visited the item shop once or twice. The old couple that visited earlier to the shop was coordinating a group of workers placing banners and stands in their proper places. The lady who owned the orchard outside the city was bringing barrels of cider and stacking them for the festival. Obviously, the all you can eat and drink that Louie mentioned might've been true.

She can already picture a certain thief and a bankrupt priest-in-training drinking till they drop somewhere around here. Already she began to wager who was going to drop first. The pub owner would be happy to see those two out of his establishment for one night and have them drown in someone else's tab.

"Oh, good morning you two." A familiar voice caught their attention. The pair quickly turned their heads around to find a girl with long brown hair wearing an oriental outfit that differentiated her from the rest of the locals. "Having a morning stroll are you?"

"Ah! Nagi. Good morning." Recette and her partner greeted back in unison. "What brings you over? Are you here for the super cheap choco-cake from the bakery?"

"I think you're the only person who would be excited about that." Tear stated ignoring her friend's protest.

The woman named Nagi simply chuckled at them. "I see you two haven't changed. Though I'm afraid you're mistaken. I'm running an errand for the market today."

"An errand?" The shopkeeper inquired.

"Yes. Apparently the lady in the tailor shop required some rabbit fur for her work so I was hired to travel to the Amber Garden."

"EH!?" The two immediately flinched on the thought. They looked at one another before turning back to the female adventurer who continued to smile pleasantly at them.

"You went to the dungeon…"

"…alone?" Tear finished with a bead of sweat dropping off her head. "And you… didn't get lost?"

"Hmm? Oh not at all. It was a quick journey, I assure you." The owners of Recettear sighed with relief knowing well the terrible sense of direction this girl had. Heck you could probably point her to the house next door and she'll probably end up in the capital the next morning one way or another. "I only spent a whole week there." Tear nearly spat her cake out.

"A… a whole week!?" Recette panicked. "You spent a whole week inside the dungeon? All by yourself?"

"Yes. It was quite an experience." Nagi replied feeling like it was just an ordinary thing to happen to someone like her. "After gathering all the rabbit fur I could carry, I accidentally stepped onto the portal leading to the next floor. The area I was in was a volcanic area so water was extremely hard to find. The next area appears to be ruins of sorts so I spent some time hunting more monsters for their meat. Afterwards, I nearly died of dehydration twice until I finally made it to the 15th floor. Eventually I found the way out. But then I noted a treasure box in the next corner so I decided to open it. To my amazement, the box was a trap and it teleported me to the other side of the dungeon. Then afterwards, I lost my map and the announcement claimed that all the monsters there had double defense and attack which made it all the more difficult to get through. And then…"

"That's ok… I think we get it." Tear stopped her before she could go on. "Goodness. Not even a Global Position System would be able to get you out of there."

"Ah. But you need not worry about me getting lost." Nagi informed them. "The lady was kind enough to provide me with a ball of yarn so I would not lose my way." Again, Tear sweat dropped. "Anyway. I should be heading off. This Festival really is really a sight to behold. It's quite amazing how the mayor decided to hold it all for three days straight."

"I know right?" Recette agreed taking another bite off her cake. "There'll be dancing, and food, and games, and food, and fireworks and food and sweets and cakes and cheese and hamburgers and…"

"We get it!" Tear growled irritatingly. "Merde. Does your brain hold nothing but thoughts for your stomach?"

"Of course not." Recette pouted back in defense. "Food only covers 30% of my thoughts. Another 10% for sleep and playing, 5% on all the marketing stuff and another 5% on others."

"That is considered to be a dominant side of your brain." Tear added face palming herself. "And what of the other 50%? What does that cover?"

"Why… you of course." Recette answered plainly which surprised the young fairy in turn.

Again, Nagi chuckled at how innocent the girl could say such a thing. "Ara ara. What a sweet thing to say."

"Wh… what kind of an answer is that!?" Tear jerked back, a mad blush forming around her cheeks. Recette didn't seem to understand her outburst. "How am I occupying 50% of your brain?"

"Well it's true." Recette answered innocently. "You've taught me so much in the last few months that you've been with me. The Librarian kept telling me that the brain is where I keep all my precious memories but it's not infinite. So if there's anything I want to remember forever, then you have to keep it locked up tight in your head and I decided thatI want to keep my memories of you with me the most." Tear's face grew redder and redder by the minute that the tomato in the stall nearby would pale in comparison. "Because my time with you Tear, has been the most precious memories I've had."

"Recette…" The gray fairy was speechless. She could barely keep eye contact with her partner much less say anything back to respond to that honest touch. But she kept her mask up for a moment.

"Ara ara. It seems like I'm eavesdropping in on a private moment." Nagi who was ogling over that passionate exchange knew that she had no place there and quietly slipped off into the background. "Exit, stage left."

"Tear? Why are you crying?" Recette noted drips of water appearing on her partner's cheeks. "Did I say something wrong?"

"How can you say something… so embarrassing so naturally!?" The little fairy hastily flew off dropping her share of the cake on the floor.

"Ah! My cake! Tear! Wait! Come back!" Recette tried to give but was stopped by a figure that suddenly bumped on her way. "Kyaa!" The girl felt like she was pushed down but the fact truly stated that the figure she bumped onto was tougher than her tiny body.

"Oh my!" Philippe, who was the figure Ricette bounced off yipped. "A thousand pardons my lady. Are you injured?" The boy was relatively taller than the girl even as he knelt to meet her height.

"Oweee, my gludious maximus…" Ricette muttered rubbing the back of her behind. She then noted the boy offering her hand which she unconsciously accepted. "Th… thank you…?"

The boy bowed the moment he brought the girl back to her feet. "I truly apologize for that. Standing idle for so long was a terrible mistake on my end especially in a busy street such as this. I hope I did not do any permanent damage to you."

Ricette was smitten. The moment she looked up she felt like she was gazing at her knight in shining armor. Her head just barely reached his torso making it look like she was gazing upon a giant in those mythical legends. The silver armor painted in the shape of a blue bird spoke of his figure. His facial features, dark raven hair and that beauty mark right between his left eye and mouth made him like a dreamy prince from a fairytale.

"N… n… n… not at all." Ricette returned, feeling stunned for a brief moment by the boy's features. "I'm… sorry…"

"Your kindness is too much." Philippe gratefully accepted her apology as well as his. "Truly I am not accustomed to such a place. I shall double my efforts to be more wary in the future."

"Ah… yeah… of course…"

Again the young knight bowed. "If you don't mind pardoning my rudeness. Perhaps you can direct me to the Adventurer's Guild. I appear to have lost my way and I am unfamiliar with any of the streets. If you can provide any assistance I would be eternally grateful."

"The… Adventurer's Guild?" Ricette inquired which the boy confirmed. She then pointed to the large building near the bridge on the northeast corner of the plaza. "That building over there with the large wall around it. That's the one you're looking for."

"Ah I see. So the large structure that looks like a fort. I thank thee, my lady." And without any hesitation, like it was the most natural thing to do, Philippe kissed the girl's hand like a hero from a romantic novel telling the story of true love. "Let us meet again in better times. But for now, I bid thee, adieu." And like the wind that he was, he dashed off into the distance leaving only the air behind for her to remember him by.

It didn't take long for Tear to return after seeing that little event in the distance. "Ricette, are you alright? Did that man hurt you?"

"That was… so…"

"Ricette? What's the matter?"

"He was so… cool."

"Pardon?" Tear raised a brow only to be recoiled by the sudden bombardment of imaginary hearts that flew from Ricette's mind. "BWAH!"

"He was like a real prince! That was totally romantic! A love at first sight!" The shopkeeper went on for a whole minute of praises before she finally came to a stop. Her pupils had morphed into hearts and her stomach churned with butterflies and the hearts that bubbled out of her were so light that they as well lift her whole body into the air. "Ah Tear… it seems I am reaching that time when my first love enters my mind."

"Somehow I highly doubt that." The fairy bluntly stated putting the girl's delusions into perspective.

"Huaa… I wonder if he'll buy me candy if I asked him. I'd fall in love with him even more." Recette added dreamily.

"You'd sell your heart for a piece of candy!?" Tear barked back but her words were ignored as the girl simply dazed like a dumbstruck girl. "Merde. You only just met. Love at first sight is nothing more of a myth. But… something about him does strike me as odd."

"Uwaa! Don't tell me you fell for him too! No fair Tear! I saw him first! I don't want this to end up as a generic-tragic love-triangle where both of us die while none of us get the man!"

"I believe you misunderstand… and what's with that generic love triangle? How is it a tragic… never mind." Tear brushed it away, knowing well that going into that topic would take hours to resolve. "What I'm trying to say is… that I've never seen that person around here. He doesn't look like a local. Judging by his demeanor and expensive clothes… he must be someone from the capital."

"So… does that mean he's smart?"

The fairy sighed. "It certainly means that he was given better education that you. The way he talks also seemed elegant and proper meaning that he may also of nobility."

"Does that mean he's a prince looking for a princess?"

"Which part of that did you come to that conclu… no… never mind. However… the crest on his armor… where have I seen that before?"

"Crest? You mean that blue bird thing on his armor?" Ricette guessed which was surprisingly correct in Tear's case.

"Yes. That's right. That symbol. I know I've seen it somewhere before. But where?" But her train of thoughts soon came to a stop when the same familiar voice called out to them.

"Yo Recette, Tear. You're here." Louie, the swordsman called out to them from the center of the plaza where most of the activities were handled. Judging from the smudges of paint on his face and the dirt on his clothes, one could say that the boy had been working hard in the last hour that they last met. "I wasn't expecting to see you here so early."

"Oh it's you again."

"Don't call me 'you'. I'm not some generic villager that goes around greeting people and welcoming them to the city." The boy complained to the fairy that didn't seem to have any intent on apologizing. "So what brings you out here? I was going to visit you guys again back at the shop. Are you out scouting for a place to put your stand?"

"A stand?" Recette inquired puzzling. "You mean one of those one-stop-shops you see everywhere?"

He nodded back in reply. "Pretty much. The slots are filling in like crazy even though the festival preparations are just starting today. The Guild Master alone is having a hard time just trying to fit everyone in a corner."

"I can see that." Tear nodded, knowing well that the festival meant holding the entire population of the city in one area. "It would certainly be difficult squeezing everyone in such a place. But business would soar greatly at such a place."

"Yeah, and apparently some nobles from the capital will be coming too." Louie added pointing to the large mansions on the other side of the bridge. "A few noblemen just came by earlier so people are making a big fuss about it."

"So does that mean there's a chance that I can see my Prince Charming again? Yay!"

"Prince Charming?"

Tear shook her head in distraught before explaining. "It seems that Ricette has been smitten by a gentleman from the capital. Seriously, who knew that she would be taken by a few honeycomb words and a shining smile?"

"Aww, don't worry Tear. You're still my number one." Ricette added holding Tear by her cheeks. "Tee hee."

"Please don't show such affection in such a public place!" The fairy turned red again trying to pull herself away. "Merde. Only you can do such a thing without any regard on who sees us."

Louie could only raise a brow at them not really understanding what was going on. "Well. I don't know a lot about Honeycomb words and such but you really should do something about that cake stain on your shirt." Ricette blinked confused and suddenly realized that the cake she had earlier had made a mess on her cheeks leaving a brown mark on her chest.

"Cake? Uwaah! My favorite shirt! It's all ruined!"

"Favorite shirt?" Tear questioned. "Isn't that the same thing you wear almost… well… practically every day since we first met?"

"Of course not!" Ricette countered trying to wipe the stain off with her hands but obviously she was just making it worse by the minute. "Even a lady like myself, have a sense of fashion. This one has two more pockets than the others. The one I wore yesterday had an extra button on the collar and the one I wore before that had a cut frill on the sleeves."

"But don't they all look the same?" Louie reasoned which was quickly ignored. He saw the girl desperately trying to remove the stain but instead it just became bigger. Unable to take it, the boy dropped his tools and removed his scarf. "Alright stop that. You're just making it worse. Here, use this." He dipped his scarf to the fountain soaking it like a sponge.

"Are you sure that's alright?" Tear asked. "That scarf looks pretty important."

"Don't worry. I can just buy another one from your shop whenever you have one on sale." He gently wiped the stain away, dirtying his prized scarf. "There we go. That should keep the stain off. But I think it would be best if you put that in the laundry for today and change into something else."

"Ahehe. Thanks Louie." Ricette gave out her best smile in appreciation.

"That's amazing. It seemed almost like magic." The gray fairy said in amazement to which Louie simply smirked with pride.

"Don't underestimate the absorption ability of my homemade scarf. From a land that has a lot of snow, and floods in spring and summer we have need of something like this from time to time." Louie stated proudly flashing his trademark hero pose. "Oh and that reminds me. Since both of you are here already, I got word from the Guild Master. He said that he might have to put on a few orders of foodstuff and clothes from you. The event might be too big for his guild to handle alone so you might want to meet with him personally."

"Hmm. That might certainly be worthwhile. Ricette and I shall consider it." Tear bowed with some hint of gratitude. "Come Ricette."

"Aww. Can't I at least get one more cake?"

"No. You already had one too many as it is. We mustn't allow such a prominent business time pass by without taking an opportunity of it. Come. We have orders to fill out."

"Buuu…"

And just like that, the two sisters left, leaving the young swordsman by to praise in their innocence. Louie felt like he wanted to say more and enjoy a little more time with those two but like Tear said before: Business waits for no one.

"Hey Louie! Stop goofing around and get back to work!"

"Bwah! Ah… yes sir! Right away sir!"

**(Adventurer's Guild)**

The Adventurer's Guild. A guild comprised of warriors of different assortment of skills and talents. It was a place where soldiers, mercenaries, rogues, mages and foreign legion come to work part-time to assist the local guards and warding off monsters from the dungeons.

It was perhaps the closest thing this city had to a military force but of course there weren't any commanders or leaders to order them around and they hardly had any opportunity to fight other than facing the many critters from the many dungeons outside the city. They mostly do odd jobs for the city and help around wherever they could so long as they were paid correctly. In truth one might actually call this place a guild house for professional or multitalented labor.

Philippe walked in, feeling a bit out of place as he seemed to be the only few people who actually entered the guild hall. He was hoping to find warriors, barbarians, mages or some ex-soldiers hanging around drinking merrily and talking about their latest conquest. But instead the hall felt empty and barren.

"Umm…"

"Oh… hello there." The middle-aged man who acted as the receptionist greeted. "What can I do for you good sir?"

Philippe quickly returned the gesture and approached the counter with caution. "Ah well… yes, pardon me. But this wouldn't happen to be the Adventurer's Guild, would it?"

"That's what it says on the sign outside." The receptionist humored, cracking a smile. "Is there something you need?"

"Yes well. I was hoping to hire a few adventurers for a cause. I am willing to pay an honest coin for every member that will join."

"Is that so? Do you have someone particular in mind?"

Philippe looked around and felt somewhat disappointed. When he heard the name, Adventurer, he expected to find a multitude of races here like in those video games where the hero finds a party of ragtag warriors of different classes hanging around. But that image was broken into small time washed up soldiers who barely look like they could handle themselves in a fight. He needed warriors, not drunkards or couch potatoes.

"The selection here aren't… exactly to my expectations."

"Ah well. Sorry about that." The receptionist apologized. "Most of the adventurers were hired by the Merchant's Guild yesterday to help prep for the festival."

The young man's face lightened. "I see. Can you recommend me a few names? Tell them I would pay a large amount for any that would join."

"Umm… sorry, but it doesn't work that way Mister." Philippe looked back, puzzled. "I guess since you're new here, I supposed I should take it from the top. You see…" And soon enough the receptionist began explaining the details of the guild and how the members operate by themselves with Business Cards and such.

"I see. So I will have to procure a business card from each warrior personally to earn their trust. It is like knights swearing their allegiance to their sovereign king. A remarkable tradition."

"Well I wouldn't put it that way, but that's close enough." The receptionist nodded, satisfied that his customer understood their system.

Philippe could only grumble but his eyes felt determined. "It seems that hiring warriors of such calibers requires more effort than I originally imagined. I will need to double by efforts. Good sir!"

"Ah… yes?" The receptionist jerked back at his sudden call.

"Can you direct me to the strongest warrior in the guild itself?"

"Strongest warrior?"

"Yes. A soldier of extraordinary qualities. The strongest of all of you. The bravest! The deadliest warrior this guild has to offer!"

"If you're talking about the strongest warrior in the guild then you're probably looking for…" But the man was interrupted by the door opening. "Oh Nagi. Welcome back." The receptionist greeted the oriental warrior. "You didn't get lost coming back here, did you?"

"I may have been distracted by a pair of loving sisters." The long haired spear wielding warrior answered with a cheerful smile. "But the task was completed in a satisfactory manner. I have procured my completion mark."

"That's great. Here's your pay." The receptionist quickly produced a bag of pix from the counter. "There are more offers on the Mission Board if you need extra pay. Come by whenever you feel like it."

"I certainly will. Oh? Charme?"

"Yo Nagi. Was it me or did I hear a bag of coins clinking earlier?" A woman of wild and untamed feature appeared from the dark surprising even Philippe himself.

"Your sense of hearing is as impeccable as ever." Nagi chuckled recalling the girl's sense of hearing. She was so adept at it she could probably hear someone drop a few loose coins along the crowded road. "I certainly did recently complete an assignment."

"Yosh! That means the drinks tonight are on you."

"Charme. Don't leech off someone else's hard work." The receptionist whined. "If you want to eat or drink then you'll have to work like everyone else."

"I suppose I can pay more for the exotic company." Nagi innocently brushed it off which the purple haired thief jumped with glee.

"That's what I like about you Nagi. You never complain about anything I do."

"But I believe the pub will not be open until this evening so you will have to wait for awhile."

"Details, details." Charme tsk her tongue. "There are plenty of other places that sell good booze at a time like this. Besides, with the festival coming up, I need to practice my drinking for the 'all you can drink contest'."

"Ahuhuhu. There certainly is no stopping you when it comes to drinking. I shall be more than happy to join you for lunch."

And with a happy cheer from the thief, they left.

"I'm sorry about that." The receptionist apologized to his customer for leaving him unattended for a brief moment. "That one would be Charme, our resident self-proclaimed thief. She can be pretty loud. I assure you that the rest of us are nothing like her."

"That was…" Philippe shuddered giving the receptionist a curious expression.

"Sir? Are you… alright?"

"Those two were perfect!" The young knight roared. "A foreign warrior with an elegant smile. A thief with a heart of gold! They're perfect additions to my ragtag group! I must find a way to earn their business cards! My dream of a perfect party of heroes is at long last, in sight! Thank you fellow citizen." With a determined fire in his eyes, the knight dashed off kicking the dust in the air.

…

"What the heck was his problem?"

**(Gustav's mansion)**

Alouette Gustav had finished her stroll that morning and was now returning to her home across the bridge. Always by her side was her trusted companion Prime, who sat by her shoulder like she was riding a bandwagon.

"Ugh… it's so hot…" The red dressed fairy grumbled as she tried to hide under the long tamed hair of her master. "Why in the world did we have to walk in such a hot day? It's murder for my complexion."

"Oh hush Prime." The young heiress of the Gustav's household stated. "It is common for a member of the nobility to walk the streets to show their brilliance and have the plebeians gaze in envy of our beauty."

"You weren't talking so high and mighty when the lady gave you a free cold apple in the market." The red fairy added only to earn a sharp gaze from her mistress. "Besides. Why can't you just admit that you wanted to visit Recettear instead of just saying that you're taking a walk?"

This time, it was Alouette that turned red in front of her fairy. "Wh… what are you blathering about? I simply enjoy the sight on the hill. Besides. That peasant's store was built right in the place where the breeze is most enjoyable. You are sadly mistaken if I would put any effort in visiting my rival of all things."

"Yeah yeah. Sure. Whatever you say Mistress. But you gotta wonder though. Since the festival is being held tomorrow, maybe she'll be in the plaza dancing instead."

Alouette's eyes widened. "Dancing? Of… of course! That plebian would certainly be attending that mockery of a party enjoying herself with the rest of her people."

"It's too bad you can't join. It would've been fun."

"Err…"

"The shops there will probably be selling plenty of stuff. And they even said there'll be free food and drinks. Oh… maybe I'll drop by and have a taste of that Billy's Bakery special cake."

The heiress stormed. "Hey wait a second! Why do you get to go and I can't!?"

"Well technically I'm not a noble so I can attend it just fine. You on the other hand have to attend the big banquet and stuff."

"Oh no you don't!" The blonde spoiled girl grabbed her fairy friend in a tight lock. "There's no way I'm letting you have all the fun. If I'm going to go through this party then you're coming with me!"

"What!? No! I hate the food here. They're classy and tasteless! Too much oil and fat! I'm not gonna choke down your vegetables just because you don't like them!"

"I am your master, you are to obey everything I say!" The girl insisted.

"There's a difference from working to slavery!" Prime struggled to get off but was futile against a human's strength. "Help! Child labor laws! Domestic abuse! Call the gendarme! Slave driver! Kidnapper!"

"Alouette? Prime? Is that you?" The two immediately stopped their bickering when an elderly voice called out to them from afar. They recognized the face almost immediately.

"Father?" Alouette behaved in her noble-ish manner when she realized that her father was not alone.

"I was wondering what all that racket was all about. I was half way to calling the guards. What are you doing up and about so early in the morning?"

"We were… going on a stroll." She answered. "A morning walk around the town to display our prestige."

"Hmph. More like an excuse to see a friend. Ow!" Prime felt her mistress's elbow.

"Well it's good to know that you're doing well in this new city." Lord Gustav smiled before remembering his guest. "Oh and that reminds me. Lord Rivelle. Allow me to reintroduce my daughter, Alouette."

"A pleasure to meet you again young lady." The man in military uniform tipped his imaginary hat in respect to which Alouette remembered to bow in return.

"Alouette, you remember Nilbert Rivelle from the capital?"

"Of course." She responded gazing at the man in question. "Greetings Baron. It has been some time."

A wide grin appeared from the man. It almost felt disgusting just watching those finely trimmed teeth of his. "Ah. Finally. Proper manners and etiquette befitting a lady of stature. Your birthright has made you into a fine noble, Lady Alouette, despite the filth that crawls itself around you. You are truly a shining beacon for all the serfs here."

"You are too kind my lord."

"Baron Rivelle has just arrived today from the capital. I hope your trip wasn't too harsh." Alouette's father explained gesturing to his friend.

"It was… durable, despite the stench of commoners. Absolutely no class whatsoever. But… I digress." The officer looked like he wanted to spit off his disgust but stopped because of the company around him. "Some refinement from your establishment had cured me of those wounds."

"Then perhaps I could interest you in some fine wine and cheese from home. I am certain that you will love it. Alouette. Please excuse us for a moment."

"Of course father." Again Alouette bowed allowing the two gentlemen passage to the estate. For a split moment, Alouette acted like the lady that she pretended to be. All the lessons, all the endurance training she had with her tutors paid off even just for a moment. But for some reason, all that acting left a somewhat bitter taste in her mouth. Like a fine wine that had gone bad because of a single spoiled grape mixed in the batch.

"I don't like that guy…" Prime's irritation escaped her. And for what little reason she had, Alouette had to agree. There was clearly something about that officer that gave her a bad vibe. It wasn't that shining toothy smile or that smug attitude of his. Something beside those felt like a parasite that was gnawing itself on her skin. It did not sit well with her.

**(Pensee Orphanage)**

Things were loud at the orphanage that afternoon. Not that it wasn't always noisy with all the kids roaming around in the playground being the large bundle of energy that they were. But today was different. With the orphanage being so close to the plaza, the kids had more than a good reason to go out and play with all the energy they had. With all the pretty colors and lovely smelling food, it seemed only natural for those little minds of curiosity to go out and explore.

"Oi! Alfonso, Charlemange, Elizabeth! You three behave!" Caillou, the youngest protégé of the Mage Guild yelled out as he tried to stop a bunch of troublemakers annoying the carpenters. "How many times do I have to tell you not to bother the workers while they're handling stuff? If you cause an accident what will happen?"

"Sorry big brother Caillou." The trio apologized.

"Ah. Forget it. It's almost time for lunch anyway so get back home and wash yourselves up."

"Okay!"

"Goodness. How can they still run after all that jumping and yelling?" The mage mumbled feeling exhausted chasing those kids. He felt like a shepherd tracking down lost lambs that strayed too far from the pack. "It's like they have a limitless supply of energy in those bodies."

"What's this? Is the great and mighty Caillou expressing his irritation with kids his age?" A priest/monk in training laughed from behind which surprised the boy.

"E… Elan!? Wh… what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean what I'm doing? I'm working of course." The man replied feeling hurt.

"Working? You mean you're actually doing something to earn money instead of wasting them?"

The priest wanabe sweat dropped. "Hey, that's a little harsh. I make a living too you know. How else do you think I get all the nice things for the kids?"

"Hmph. Perhaps if you didn't have so much debt in the pub perhaps you would have more on you."

"Hey. A guy's gotta eat too. And drinking is like breathing for me. If I don't have one or two bottles before the moon gets up, I'll die."

The young wizard only sighed at his illogic reply. "This explains why you hardly have anything on you at all. Perhaps you should consider a change in your profession. I make more than twice of what you earn in your part-time work."

"Eh? You work too?"

Caillou barked. "What is that supposed to mean!? Of course I work! How else do you think I pay for all my lodging and expenses!? Just because I look like a child doesn't make me one. I happen to be a respected wizard in the Committee of Magic both here and in the capital. I have both a salary and royalties."

"Oh I've heard of those guys. They're supposedly people who are trying to improve lifestyle with magic."

"Hmm… so you aren't that ignorant of the world after all. I'm impressed." The young mage smirked much to his friend's dismay. "Then you can probably understand my brilliance. There isn't a man my age that has progressed magic in such a way that improves the lives of others."

"Heeeh. You're actually pretty smart, aren't you?" Elan then casually rubbed the boy's head making him grin even more. "It's no wonder the lady left you in charge of the orphanage. You're pretty responsible for a little tike."

"Ahehe. Geh!" Caillou quickly came to his senses and backed away. "Don't go rubbing other people's heads without their permission! Where are your manners, you fake priest!"

"Ahahaha. Sorry about that. A force of habit. Here… have a candy as an apology." Elan quickly produced a candy from his pocket which the boy unconsciously accepted. "Well I gotta get back to work. Take care of the kids while I'm out and I'll treat you to some cake from Billy's Bakery. You can have a whole slice all to yourself."

"Really!?" The boy's eyes gleamed before reverting back to their serious mode. "Ah… I mean. That… that would be an adequate reward, if… if you insist."

But just as the two old friends had their little chat, a rather loud conversation was taking place in the corner of the plaza.

"Did you hear? Barengan officially declared war on Chamboir last week." Several housewives and elderly gentlemen gossiped in the corner whispering and looking around.

"I know. They said that Chamboir is being annexed by its neighbors after the civil war that killed the royal family."

"They say that the princess is still missing and the nobles there are banding together to repel the invaders. It's even rumored that our king is planning to support some of them."

"If our country gets involved, then the battle will probably take place in the desert on the other side of the river. Near Castle Advocat."

"Is that why there are so many nobles coming to our town? Is the fighting going to be here?"

"That's impossible. Pensee is too far from the border to be of any worth. They're probably just gonna use this place to bring troops to the front line."

"But the fighting. It could reach all the way here and there's not a lot of soldiers in Pensee either!"

"Shh! Be quiet. Do you want the whole city to hear you?" The group quickly dispersed, leaving only echoes of their discussion for the eavesdroppers to sort out.

"War huh…" Caillou muttered. "I've only heard of such things in reports and messengers but never in real life." He then darted his eyes to the priest in training. "Hey Elan. You were once a soldier. How is it like? War, I mean."

"Hmm?" The priest in training was brought out of his daze. "Ah. It's nothing for you to be concerned about. Leave that stuff for the adults and focus on what you do best at school, squirt."

"Hey! Don't hide behind under the pretext to belittle me! I can fully understand that…"

"Oh, it looks like Alfonso got stuck in the tree again. You'd better help him."

"Huh? Oh! Alfonso! Come down! Don't climb that tree!" Immediately Caillou ran off after seeing one of the troublemakers trapped on the tree branch near the orphanage.

But while Elan admired the boy's dedication to his juniors, he couldn't help but feel a bit worried about the future of this town. He looked upward to the sky, a sense of nostalgia looming over him. "War huh… So Chamboir is finally gonna decide it once and for all. If they're gonna use Pensee… then this city might be heading in for some hard times."

**(Recettear)**

Later that night, Recette and Tear returned to their home. For the whole day, Recette expected to live a pleasant and easy-going life. But Tear had turned her tour into a business trip going from one establishment to another catering orders one after another. It went rather successfully of course with all the assortments needed to hasten the preparation of the festival.

"I'm home…" Recette said to herself as she entered her home. "Uwa… I'm tired. Good night."

"Hold your engine on just a little bit longer." Tear stopped her from entering her bedroom. "We still need to categorize all of the orders that we piled up. And not to mention sort out the items we intend to give them."

"Awww… but it's already way past sleepy-time." The shopkeeper yawned. "I wanna go to bed."

"Surely you can give a little more effort. I still haven't forgiven you for leaving all those blank record books!"

"Uwa… but I'm tired~ I can't walk anymore."

"Goodness gracious…" Tear said out loud. "You were so energetic this morning with all that running. Haaa… I supposed I can let you rest for a minute or two. Take a quick shower and return here later."

"Okay~" Recette dragged her last word with her.

Tear couldn't help but sigh. She had already grown accustomed to Recette's laziness but no matter how many times she sees it, she can't help but grow irritated by her actions. If she still had those debts coming in her mailbox she'd probably be yelling at her right this instant.

But then… Tear believed that she could cut the girl some slack. After all, she was the only family and friend she truly had left. After the incident two months ago with the president of the Terme Finance Company trying to take over the dungeon worlds, she did save her life. Well… technically Louie did but she and Alouette were there as supporting characters. She did owe her life twice over to her after all.

"Well… I supposed I could cut her some slack." The fairy muttered quietly to herself until she heard a loud thud in the other room. "Hmm? Ricette? What was that noise?" She opened the door to the bedroom only to find the girl half way to bed. Tear sighed again wondering how this young lady could've stayed by herself for all these months. "Merde… what would you do without me?" Reaching out for the girl, she gently used her tiny hands to pull the sleepy-head to her bed and tucked her in gently like a mother would do to her child.

"Good night, Tear…" Ricette sleep talked.

"Ahuhuhu… good night Ricette." The fairy then quietly returned to her work, listing all the names and items that were to be sold for tomorrow.


	2. The Harvest Festival

**Chapter 2: The Harvest Festival**

**(Pensee)**

The chapel bell rang, music was in the air, singing and laughing was the theme of the day and the smell of pastries and barbeque filled the atmosphere, drowning all other stench from the plaza.

The Harvest Festival has begun…

From the city's plaza to the hilltop, parties and celebrations were being held aplenty. Everywhere you see, everywhere you went, the same scene played itself over and over again. Bards and street performers scattered along the streets, children of every age gleamed with wonder and mystery and merchants of various origins sold their items like it was the next Venice.

Even the Adventurers who often delve into battle participated in such games.

In one corner, you could see Arma, the supposed golem and dungeon master of Pensee, performing fire arts, entertaining the children with her pyrotechnics. In another corner, Nagi, the foreign warrior, displayed her homeland's fan dance with a geisha mask included. A splendid display of culture and wonder filled the atmosphere, emptying all vile thoughts from the public.

But in one particular store, a certain girl overslept in her bed, unable to join the fun.

**(Recettear)**

"TEAAAAAARRRR!"

"Bha? I'm not asleep." The gray fairy vaulted her head up from her record book, a drool dropping from her mouth. "Huh?"

"TEARRRRR!" A blinding wind flashed through the shop. "It's morning! The time when the sun goes up and the people go wakey-wakey! The festival's already starting!"

"Huh? Ah. Oh… yeah."

"Don't just float there like a light-bulb! Help me! Uwa! Where are my hairpins? My money pouch! My lucky charm! Oh and my adula abinglada!"

"Would you calm down?" Tear calmed her friend down, letting out a tired yawn on her own. "And what's a abula agla… never mind. The morning celebration hasn't even begun. This is simply the opening act."

"But the free food!"

"The food will be plenty even when we arrive there. I highly doubt they will disappear just because you're not present. Besides, we have orders to fill out. We have 12 orders of foodstuff and 6 books, 8 clothes and several ingredients for the Committee of Science."

"Oh butter carp… can't we just do that after the festival?" Ricette whined.

"Now now. The faster you finish this the faster you can go and enjoy the pleasantries of the festival."

The girl arms slouched in defeat knowing well that there was just no way was she ever going to beat Tear when it came to logic. "Fine." Raising herself, the girl opened the store and randomly placed all the items by the display counter and returned to her seat and wait for the customers to fly in. Metaphorically speaking of course.

And without warning, the first customer came in. To Ricette's surprise, it was her close friend Tielle who entered.

"Welcome to Ric-Oh Tielle! Welcome!"

"Good morning Ricette." The elven archer greeted back cheerfully. "It's good to see you again."

"Same here. Are you joining the festival?"

The elf nodded. "Yeah! It's way awesome! The bakery by the plaza is having a baking contest with all of its bakers. There were games, shows and even free food. Can you believe that?"

"Uuuuuu! That sounds like a lot of fun… and a lot of food! I wanna join too."

"Eh? Can't you go?"

Ricette shook her head in reply. "No. I still have some things to do at the shop. But I'll definitely come. That's a promise."

**(Plaza)**

"Haa…" Louie, the swordsman from the frozen north let out a breath as he hammered the last nail into place. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he looked up to see his days of hard work finally come to fruition. All the plaques and signs were in place and ready to be seen by the crowd who were already crowding up the streets. The sounds of music were beginning to play and the booths were ready to make their grand sale. It almost felt like he was in a different country already. "There… that should do it. Old man, I'm done."

"Oh, nice work there, boy." An elderly citizen of the city praised the boy's work. Obviously he was the boy's current employer. "These signs will do nicely. I'll get my son in law to get them set up immediately."

"I'm just glad to be of help." The boy replied scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. "If there's anything you need doing, just give me a call. I'll be more than happy to lend a hand for a good price."

"Spoken like a true adventurer." The old man laughed. "But don't forget to live a little. Though this may sound contradicting, life is not always about work. It's about enjoying the things around you."

"But if I enjoy working then does that mean I'm still working?" Louie countered only for the elderly man to pause and think.

"Well… if you put it that way… then… I suppose it doesn't. Aha! How refreshing. To be beaten in a battle of words with a child. It almost makes me want to live longer just to see what future this world holds."

"Ahehehe… you praise me too much."

Smiling and grinning, the elderly quickly pulled out a pouch from his pocket and tossing it over to the swordsman. "Here boy. Your pay. That should be all I need for today. And a little extra for all your hard work."

"Thank you, Mister. I appreciate it." The boy graciously accepted his payment and tucked it into his pocket. "This should get me closer to my goal."

"Oh and if I may ask. What are you saving up for?" The old man inquired. "With all the work you've been doing, I'm guessing you're planning to buy something special."

"Well, I suppose you could call it that." The boy answered vaguely. "Anyway, I still got some things to do. I'll see you around Mister." And with the speed of a bullet, the boy ran off to his next assignment.

The old man couldn't help but watch as one of the proud youth of the world sped off. "Such a hardworking kid. A few more of him and this world may just be a brighter place for all of us."

**(Gustav's residence) (Main hall)**

Alouette pouted quietly to herself as she gazed at the city plaza just on the other side of the bridge over by the window. The noise from that place could be heard even from where she was standing and it dabbed in her curiosity.

With all the decorations, the colors, the sights and sound, it made her feel like the circus itself had come to town for a one night stand. The wonders, the sights and the music were poking at her interest and it felt like she was missing out on something very important. She wanted to do more than just look at it from afar, she wanted to get a closer look. She wanted to hear the music they played, the food that the commoners eat, the sights unlike anything she has ever seen through her window.

Looking through that transparent glass, she felt like she was barred out from the rest of the world. And looking at the inside, she could see the servants scramble around prepping for the guests that were to arrive.

Tables draped in white sheets littered the main hallway with drinks and snacks that only the rich and wealthy could even see. Shrimp cocktails, foie gras dipped in red sauce, cooked oysters and lobsters. Everything was lined up so elegantly that even royalties from the capital would dine here. And right at the center of it all, was her mother, Lady Maree Gustav.

The lady was coordinating everyone with such precision and grace it was easy to tell that she was in command. Her words were sharp and precise, leaving little room for error. Her chocolate colored hair and finely made dress differentiated her from the rest of the rabble that surrounded her.

Alouette wanted to help but she hardly thinks that she could be of any use there. She would mostly just get in the way of things. Turning her attention back to the window, she couldn't help but sigh out loud.

"Mistress, can you stop sighing? You're making me depress." Prime stated giving a sigh herself.

But the lady ignored her whines and continued gazing outside. "Hey Prime. What do you think they're doing there?"

"Huh? What's that suppose to mean?"

"I mean. What do commoners do in such a festival? What do they… do?"

The tanned skin fairy gazed back at her lady in confusion. "Well… I guess they sing and dance like they normally do. There's food, music and games."

"What kind of games?" The blonde one asked.

"Well… all kinds of games. There's apple eating, air-soft gun range, a strong man challenge where you have to lift this heavy hammer and strike it real hard on the ground! Oh! And there's Pin the Roper where you have to pin one of the Roper's tentacle on the right body and if you get it wrong, you get electrocuted. Uwehehehe… I remember how fun that used to be. I used to poke the other fairies with it instead."

"It sounds like your version of fun is different from what ordinary people enjoy." Alouette gave out another sigh. "Still… I wonder…"

Prime was starting to get annoyed by Alouette's troublesome personality. It was plainly obvious to the naked eye that the girl was dying to see what was on the other side of the window but that untruthful pride kept her from progressing. Normally, the red clad fairy wouldn't let this kind of thing bothered her. She knew from day one that her Master was a major tsundere. But now, this pride of hers was just eating her from the inside.

"Huaa…" This time, it was Prime who sighed. "Look. If you want to go so badly, why don't you just ask your parent's permission?"

"What!?" The girl instantly realize her blunder and retorted. "What nonsense are you implying? I wouldn't dare be seen at such a place. I was merely inquiring knowledge to better myself in the culture of this place."

Again, Prime sighed. "Ugh. This is getting us nowhere. Wait here." And with a quick push of her wings, the little fairy flew towards Lady Maree.

"P… Prime! Where do you think you're going!?" Alouette tried to catch up but was slowed by the many servants in her way.

It didn't take long for the lady of the house to notice the little fey to stop by her face with a polite bow. Immediately she dismissed the servant she was speaking with before directing her attention to the small one. "Well, this is unusual. A servant who actually wishes to speak with me. What do you want?"

Prime gazed and saw the splendor of the lady before her. Maree's elegance and sense in fashion was extremely gaudy, in all sense of the word. The summer hat, the long purple dress and the fine jewelry adorned on her garments made her glitter like a diamond through the faintest source of light. Even the braids of her golden locks of hair were decorated with the most attractive silk money could buy. If she was trying to make herself the most glittering jewel in the city, she succeeded. But what attracted the people around her the most would be the crescent moon tattoo that covered her left eye. No one knows why she had it done, but it certainly made an impression on all her guests.

Prime quietly bowed as she spoke. "My lady. If I may be so humble to ask for your permission to dismiss Lady Alouette for the day so that she may attend the festival in city?"

"Oh?" Maree raised her tattooed eye in question. "And why does she want to visit such a low-class place?"

"I believe that it would be a great education for her." The fairy explained. "Exposure to such culture would be a grand experience that cannot be taught from books or classrooms. It would be in her best interest to attend such a festival firs hand."

"Hoo? That does sound interesting."

"Yes indeed my lady." The fairy bowed smirking under her lip.

"So are you saying that if I told her to stay, I wouldn't be holding my daughter's best interest at heart?"

"Eh?" Prime's smirk dropped. "Huh?"

"Are you saying that you, a fairy, a servant, know what is best for my daughter? Hmm?" Maree's eyes sharpened, quirking the little one to her wings. "Are you saying that Alouette's own mother, would not know what is best for her own daughter?"

"Uh… no… I didn't say that…" The crescent eye fell upon Prime, sending a cold shiver down to her wings. No. To be more precise, she'd probably say that she froze up inside.

"Then what are you saying, fairy?" The words pierced the little fey, causing her to slip up. "Depending on your next answer, I might have to put a few detriments on our… contract."

"I uh… well…"

"M… mother!" Alouette's voice crashed in.

"Ah, my sweetie, there you are." Maree's persona made a complete 180 when her daughter came into view. "I was just having a pleasant conversation with your subordinate. She's quite the lass if not, a bit overconfident of herself."

"Uuuu…" Prime flew back to her Master's shoulder a bit shaken from the lady's gaze.

"Please don't scare her, mother. You know you're easily frightening." Alouette added earning a chuckle from her mom.

"Oh my. You praise me too much darling." Her giggle alone would've made the old witches in the capital shiver under their magic. Her piercing gaze was directed away from Prime but the fairy couldn't help but feel that stare still lingering on her head. "Judging from what I heard from the little one, you wish to visit the festival grounds. Is this true?"

"Of… of course not!" The girl denied it quickly. "Such a low-class event does not grab my interest at the very least."

"Is that so?" The lady smirked, returning her gaze at the fairy who ducked away. "You see, little fairy? My little Alouette says that she has no interest in such an event. What kind of a mother would I be if I forced my daughter to do something she does not desire?"

"No! But…" Prime tried to counter but found herself shrinking from the crescent moon eye gazing at her menacingly. "Eeeep!"

"You know. It's not nice to lie to people, little one." Maree added mocking the Fey even more. "But despite your selfish behavior, I must say that you do bring up some interesting points."

"Eh?" Both girls quickly became puzzled to the lady's words.

"We simply do not have a presence in the world of commoners. Since my husband has to attend to his guest and the mayor coming here, we will definitely have our hands full entertaining the masses. I think it would be good for our image if one of us showed their face in such a lucrative event."

"Huh? What are you saying, mother?" Alouette couldn't keep up with her mother's sentence and could only stare back in confusion.

"Alouette…" Maree called to her daughter showing a rather rare smile to her. "What is the one duty that I assigned to you?"

The girl quickly scrambled her mind in search for an answer. "To… display our wealth and pride to the commoners?"

"Correct. And you won't be doing that here. These plebian can be quite forgetful of the grander lifestyle so a representative of their affair may jog their memories. Can you do that?"

"Eh?" The girl looked back confused.

"It is the lady's duty to display the prestige of her family. So… can I entrust you with this task?"

"Y… yes! Of course mother!" Alouette replied almost to the verge of yelling with glee. "I will not fail you!"

"That's what I expect." Maree nodded smiling proudly to her daughter's almost uncontrollable grin. She then turned to Prime who poked her head out of her lady's shoulder. "And you there, fairy."

"Y… yes milady?" Prime stuttered.

"I leave my daughter's safety to your care." She ordered darting her crescent eye to the little one. "I will hold you personally responsible for every strain of hair that is damaged. Is that understood?"

"Y… Yes ma'am!"

Satisfied with her reply, Maree turned her gaze back to her daughter. "Now, go you two. The day is still young and you wouldn't want to miss the free food." With a happy hop, Alouette ran off towards the door, almost tackling two or three servants along her path.

"M… mistress, wait for me!" Prime flew after her, panicked thoughts in mind.

Maree gently laughed at her daughter's hidden delight. "How wonderful… to be young again."

**(Recettear) (Afternoon)**

"Thank you for coming to Recettear." Recette bowed lowly as the last customer left the shop with a happy smile on his face. The last order was finally done and from what Tear said earlier, there would be no other orders until next week which gave the young shopkeeper the rest of the day off. "We're done!"

"Thank you for your hard work." The gray fairy congratulated her partner for a job well done. After crossing the last name off the list, Tear cheered back. "That should be the last order we have for today."

"Bwah… it's just barely noon and already I'm tired." Recette added breathing a sigh. "But that can easily all go away with a quick trip to the plaza!"

"I expected nothing less from you." Tear stated a smile growing on her lips. "We can close up for today and enjoy the rest of the afternoon in the plaza."

"Glee! Happy Harvest Day!" The girl raised her hands with joy before disappearing into the bedroom behind the store. "This is gonna be the 2nd best day of my life!"

"The 2nd?" Tear raised a brow. "I'm guessing there's a 1st Place?"

"Tee hee. I wonder what they have for sale today."

"Don't forget to wash your hands and bring a towel. It'll be crowded there." Tear urged only to find Recette ready. Never had she seen the girl so enthusiastic about such an event. She believed that if Recette put some of that enthusiasm in her work, she probably would've made twice than what she had today.

But just as Tear was about to put all of the account books in place, she suddenly noted a red circle mark on the calendar. Clearly someone had used her favorite red marker to note the 20th day of this month. Normally Tear would do such a thing whenever a customer would come by to make a substantial order. But this time, she couldn't recall what this one was.

"The 20th? That's… tomorrow." The grey fairy looked back to see Recette making headway in her preparation. "Recette? Did you…?"

"Oh, I almost forgot." The shopkeeper interrupted, cutting the fairy off to pick out a special board from her cabinet. "Tear, come and look at this. Cha chan!" She showed a poorly made wooden sign with a cute drawing of Recette and Tear next to one another. "I made this, this morning. What daya think?"

The gray fairy took a look at the sign and noted one error… or one big error at this point. "Closed for the Daestival?"

"I had a hard time picking out Day or Festival so I decided to put the two words together making… Daestival. Neat huh?" Recette wore that 'insult to the Dictionary' like a badge of honor which only made her partner sigh, forgetting the mark on the calendar.

"People will undoubtedly mistake that word for something else entirely." The fairy groaned. "But at the very least, the word 'Closed' will give the general idea."

"Yay! Then we're off!"

"Don't forget to lock this time."

And with a quick whiff, the two were gone.

…

The town of Pensee was bustling more so than usual. The streets were crowded, almost to the brim of leaking into the alleys. From the plaza to the market, to the guilds, and to the bridge connecting to the northern part of the city, you can see faces practically everywhere, some familiar, some foreign. But they all came here for a common goal, to celebrate the Harvest Festival.

When the pair finally arrived at the plaza, they were greeted by an array of colors that would've blinded a lesser man. The countless flags and pavilion decorated the walls and streets, turning the once dull white walled city into a masterpiece. Obviously someone with exquisite taste in decoration had done some fine renovation of the place. It was so well done that even Tear almost wanted to applaud the one who managed the operation.

"Holy fish carp! This is absolutely flippin fabula!" Recette cheered loudly, but her voice wasn't able to pierce through the crowd. "I feel like the whole city is gathered here."

For once, Tear agreed. The whole plaza was packed with people both local and… well… not-local. She could easily distinguish them from the people of Pensee with a mere glance. By the sound of their accents, the clothes they wear, their facial features, heck even just by looking at their hair. It was truly a gathering not only for the citizens of Pensee but for the continent itself. Such a gathering would offer great exchange of culture which can often introduce people to new types of goods and items.

Already the little fairy began to calculate how much profit she could generate by simply sampling and trying out new products on the stands.

But just before she could see the decimal point on the number of zeroes she had in her invisible calculator, a roar from the crowd caught their attention. Immediately their eyes followed the trail of people gazing on the red plaque stage. A number of oddly made instruments were being used there, and at the center of the band, a familiar Spear Wielding Adventurer stood in her traditional pink kimono, holding onto two separate fans in each hand.

"Nagi?" Recette tilted her head, puzzled by her friend's appearance on stage. "What is she doing there?"

When the first instrument played, the crowd hushed. From the silence came the drums, then strings, and soon, cherry petals dropped from the roof of the stage.

And soon after, Nagi's first move followed. Her dance was alluring, the fans on her hands attracted the attention of the audience, and her moves were swift and fluid only to be trailed by her kimono. The soles of her footwear tapped on the ground matching the beat of the music. It mesmerized the crowd silencing even the rowdiest of sailors. Tear recognized some of the moves she made as they were obviously a copy of her spear techniques but with a twisting form of a dance. It provided entertainment rather than slaying monsters.

By the time performance ended, the girl on the stage gestured a lowly bow along with the musical performers. At the end, the crowd was left wanting more. They gawk, not knowing if the song had ended but they grew into a hearty applause afterwards.

"Subliminary!" Recette cheered from her side. "That was amazing. I didn't know Nagi could dance like that. That was awesomy!"

"Indeed." Tear nod in agreement, flicking her eyeglass. "Though it did not make sense on first glance, it is nice to see something exotic for a change. I will have to ask her what they mean on a later date."

"It does look like fun." Recette added. "But now is the time for us! It's time for… SHOPPING!"

"Just don't go buying things that are out of your field."

The two walked the plaza like ordinary girls on a day-off. Everywhere Recette looked there was something new and amazing at the corner of her eye. Accessories she's never seen before, charms, belt buckles, even ribbons of every shape and size that a kid could imagine.

They went from stand to stand looking at all the different things each person had. There was even a collectible card with cute animal faces on them. In about an hour or two, they finally came upon a shop that took Recette's interest.

"Ooooh. This is nice." The young shopkeeper sang with glee as she meddled with the many gemstones on display in the stand. There were charms and amulets both bizarre and wonderful and rings that would cover almost entire fingers. "Oh I can't decide which one to buy. Hey Tear, which one do you think would fit me?"

The fairy raised a brow. "I didn't know you were interested in such glamour, Recette. I always pictured you to be the plain type."

"Hey. That sounded mean." She pouted. "They say that a diamond is a girl's best friend but I prefer something with a little more color than that. Things that shine like the rainbow after the rain."

"Hmm… if we're talking about jewelry, then why not a necklace?" Tear recommended pointing to the accessories by the stand. "A ring would be too symbolic and a bracelet would be too much for you. A necklace is by far the simplest choice in terms of jewelry since it can't distract you from your work."

"Alrighty then. I wonder which color I should get."

"Beware what color you get young lady." The merchant warned. "Each color represents a different meaning behind them. Gemstones with color speak more than their weight and beauty."

Recette tilted her head in confusion. "Really?"

"That's the first I've heard of it." Tear added directing her attention to the salesman. "What meaning do colors have?"

"Well depends on which. The red garnet here represents Energy, Desire, Passion and such. All of which fuels your motivation to take action. Blue sapphire represents Trust, Loyalty, Confidence and Wisdom. All of them confide with your beliefs. The purple amethyst is the symbol of royalty, nobility, luxury and ambition. The color of a higher class."

"So that's why Alouette wears that dress all the time." Recette added something irrelevant to the conversation. "That's neat. But I think I'll take the green one. It reminds me of trees."

Tear could only face-palm herself hearing her friend's childish remark. "Why in the world would that remind you of… ugh… forget it."

But the Merchant's face twisted with a hint of a giggle under his lips. "Uh… are you sure, madam?"

Recette nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. So what does green represent? I bet it's something awesome!"

"Well… yes." The man sweat dropped and faked a cough before continuing. "The green emerald symbolizes stability, growth and healing. It indicates hope and safety and uh… I guess… the natural order of things?"

"You seem uncertain." Tear eyed the man suspiciously. "Is there something you don't want to add?"

The man again sweat dropped. "Well… if you must know. Green gemstones are usually bought by women from my land."

"So what seems to be the problem?" The fairy inquired.

"Well… most of the time in my country, green is often associated with the symbol of… well… fertility."

"Fertility?" It took a moment to process in Tear's head before her face glowed in the color that matched Recette's hairpin. "Gubah!" She shrieked before darting her heads between the merchant and her partner. Recette just stood there, innocently admiring the necklace in hand.

The man laughed half-heartedly. "Yes… well… the women who buy them are often mothers-to-be or newlyweds. They put these on them hoping to be blessed with… well… you know."

"Yes, I understand." Tear stopped him turning her attention to her friend. "Recette. I think it would be best to pick another color."

"Huh? Why?"

"Well… you see, this color represents…" Even Tear had a hard time trying to explain the reproduction process to an innocent child like Recette.

"It represents hope! That's all I needed to hear!" The shopkeeper announced before handing the money to the merchant who seemed rather hesitant to accept them. "I'll take it!"

…

After her first purchase Recette gladly made her way to the center of the plaza by the fountain where couples gather for their dates. All the way, the girl was grinning from ear to ear, pleased of her new accessory.

"Can you stop grinning like that?" Tear pleaded. "People might start thinking that you're demented."

"Ahehehe. It's fine Tear. It's just that I'm so happy to finally have something new for myself. It's nice to be a customer for once."

"We're customers all the time when we visit the market or the Merchant's Guild." Tear pointed out but Recette ignored her. "Haaa… well at least this trip wasn't a total lost. I was able to find something of use."

"Oh yeah. You were at the other store for quite awhile." Recette recalled. "What were you buying?"

Tear proudly placed a small pouch barely the size of Recette's hand and revealed several small stones from it. "A seed merchant offered these for sale. They're herb seeds."

"Herbs?" Recette inquired. "You mean like grass?"

"Not quite." Tear groaned before explaining. "I plan to grow these at the back of the shop. Since we used up most of the space expanding the place, I was wondering if we could buy that plot of land beside the store and make it into a small greenhouse. It would certainly be profitable in the long run."

"But wouldn't that mean more work for me?"

"Not at all." The fairy eased her worries. "A few plant pots, some fertilizers and daily care, about an hour a day would be more than sufficient. I can take care of it on my own if I am provided with all the necessary tools."

"Well… I suppose we can spare a few Pix." Recette reluctantly agreed. "At least we won't be playing Harvest Sun in real life."

"Don't you mean Harvet M—Hey! Don't make me say that! I might be sued for copyright infringement!" Recette simply chuckled at her partner's distraught. "Haaa… but either way, this is indeed a nice change of pace. Despite the company we are with."

Recette looked around and immediately noticed the many couples that surrounded the fountain. Everywhere she looked you could see partners of every kind walk the streets, hands held together, and a wide smile on their faces. From young love to elders rekindling their devotion, she could see them all. Even kids barely half her age were hanging out together with pigeons on their heads and pinkish hearts flying everywhere.

"Uwa… Love must really be in the air." The shopkeeper scanned her surroundings. "I'm a little jealous."

"Are you seeking someone special yourself?" Tear teased.

"Uwa… no. Not really." Recette raised her hand in defense. "I wouldn't know the first thing about love in the first place. It'd probably be ten times harder than running a shop."

"Hoo? So my little Recette is actually interested in love after all." Tear moved closer, teasing her discomfort bone.

"N… no! Not at all. I have no interest in boys or their cooties!" Recette moved away but her purse quickly came out of her pocket rolling on the floor. "Uwa! My coin purse!" She quickly gave chase, trailing the little round object through the street.

"Recette! That's dangerous!"

And just as quickly as the purse stopped rolling, Recette found her face smacked on a wall of metal liked it had been placed there with the intent to stop her. She fell easily on her back with tiny imaginary coins floating above her head.

"Owie… my dress." The girl whined. "Who put a metal wall here? Eh?" She paused when she noticed a hand extending to her.

"Are you alright my lady?" Philippe asked feeling once again responsible for tackling the girl. "Are you hurt?"

"No I'm… uwah!" Recette immediately recognized the man and leaped back up with her own strength. "Y… you are…!"

"Oh my." The knight gasped, equally surprised. "It's you again. This is certainly a small city if we are able to meet at such a manner twice in two days. Again, my sincerest apologies for bumping on you like that. I was simply dazzled by the crowd that I lost myself in thought. Are you injured?"

"N… no, I'm fine!" Recette stuttered in her words.

"Thank goodness." Philippe sighed with relief. "Again, a thousand pardon for my rudeness."

"Recette! Are you al… right? Oh…" Tear finally caught up only to be dazzled by the familiar knight in shining armor. "You…"

"Oh my. A member of the Fey?" The knight tipped himself in a gesture of a bow. "This city certainly does have its surprises. I'm afraid I bumped onto your friend here."

"Huwa…" Recette muttered, still dazzled.

"Well, I'm glad that none of you are hurt." Tear added finally getting the girl to cooperate. "You're probably busy right now so we'll just be out of your way."

"No wait." Philippe stopped her. "It is said that bumping onto someone is an accident. Bumping to them twice is simply rude. Allow me to mend my honor by treating you two to something. It would only be polite of me."

"Oh but we couldn't possibly impose on you." Tear admitted patting her partner's head. "Unlike you, sir knight, we are salesmen and as you can see in this festival, we are quite busy."

Philippe looked down, dejected. "I see. That is understandable. Then at the very least…" Quickly the boy fiddled with his pockets producing a rather expensive looking badge. "… take this with you as my apology. Count it as a favor for the next time, should we meet again."

**(Gate of Pensee)**

A small group of twelve guards patrolled the southern entrance of Pensee that afternoon after the morning shift ended. These dedicated watchmen stood in vigilance and dedicated their daily lives into the protection of the city and its citizens with renowned courage. Their stories varied from fending off monsters that wander too close to the city and ensuring bandits and thieves find themselves a nice comfy jail cells on which to repent for their crimes. The guards of Pensee have seen countless action in years and all of them intriguing and inspiring.

…or so people were led to believe…

At the main entrance, only three out of twelve guards stood watch as they questioned both foreign visitors and locals of their business. The other nine were scattered in the guardhouse nearby lounging around and bathing in the sun of a nice summer afternoon. And no one could really blame them.

With such a warm weather, a cool breeze, and a bottle of cheap cold wine with some hot bread and bacon on the side, even the farmers would consider spending this day lounging around instead of tending to their crops.

The large open field between them and the Jade Way was about the size of three golf fields put together. There were fields and orchards as far as the eye could see and the only thing separating them from the dungeons was a long stretch of river with only a few bridges that could cross it.

"Aha! Take this you varmint! My kobold army attack with my Axe of Fury!"

"Not so fast!" Another guard called out in defense. "My 'Negate Attack' barrier is still in effect. Your Kobold Army is useless against it! Now it's my turn! My Legion of Slimes shall crush you. And with my +7 Cannon of Dum-Dum, the attack will be tripled! MWahahaha!"

"Hold your horses there, partner." The first guard grinned. "Because you just activated… my TRAP CARD!" The men around the table booed in unison. "Avalanche of Dodos! If I flip a coin on heads, the avalanche will crush three of your Slime Legions leaving you totally defenseless!"

"But if it lands on tails, the Avalanche will role to you and destroy what's left of your Kobold Army!"

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." A coin was tossed by a third party and soon enough, one side of the crowd will groan in pain while the other side cheered with joy.

The head of the patrol sighed as his soldiers wasted their time in such a silly game. But he couldn't blame them either. It was the Harvest Festival for the love of Pensee, the 2nd biggest event this side of the kingdom with more food and drinks that could drown a boat. People will be celebrating this even from dusk till dawn and vice versa. The only reason these men were here was because their Sergeant pulled the short straw on a game the other guardsmen were having. He could only picture the men's disappointment in him by being today's watch.

"Alright. You're cargo is clean. Move on." He announced to the merchant who had his goods inspected. "Next!"

It wasn't all bad of course. Guarding the gate also meant that he got to be the first to meet the visitors of today which are often foreigners from a faraway land. The exoticness of their goods were theirs for the picking with cheap prices and often given as a small payment for entering the city. It was a profit, regardless of how much they hated the job.

It was good in the early morning when all the merchant caravans were rushing into the city. Late that afternoon, the crowd slimmed down to a trickle and now only the traders belonging to the local Merchant's Guild pass through anymore.

But just as the guard was about to finish off the last entry for the day, he quickly noted that his next customer wasn't exactly normal.

An oddly cloaked man/woman was the last in line. His/her face was hidden under a straw monk hat. His/her face was covered from top to bottom making it impossible to guess his gender. Those traits alone screamed suspicious.

Silently, the guardsman signaled his two other compatriots and stopped the traveler. "Hold there. What business do you have in the city of Pensee? State your business or held for questioning."

The traveler stopped a few meters from the guard. A gentle wind blew by, rusting the grass on foot. Quickly, the stranger tipped his/her hat up revealing portion of his/her face. "Ah thank goodness. I'm actually at the right place this time."

A manly voice echoed, releasing the tension off the guardsman's shoulders. "State your business traveler."

"Ah, apologies sir. I was looking for the City of Pensee but it seems like my map had a few places that did not exist. I think I may have been duped by that fellow traveler. Anyway. I am a merchant from the city of sand. I was hoping to catch the festival to sell my goods."

The head guard raised a curious brow. "You a salesman?"

"Yes of course! Allow me to show you my wares they are… uwah!" The merchant fell on his feet stumbling over his basket of bottles which rolled over to the guards.

Curious, the guardsman picked one of them up and smelled its contents. Immediately his eyes widened. "This is… Orlasen Wine?"

"Oh? You know your stuff my good sir. That is indeed from Orlasen." The merchant smiled under his mask showing a glint in his eyes. "I recently traveled from Chamboir myself and there was a winery there that had a little extra cargo and decided to sell their stocks a bit cheaper. I simply couldn't resist."

The head of the squad sniffed its contents again before giving the ok sign to the traveler. "These things can fetch a fine price here in Pensee. The nobles will be paying you a visit, I'm sure."

"I do hope to make this journey as profitable as possible, good sir." The merchant tipped his hat and continued. "If that will be all…"

"Well. It doesn't look like you're smuggling anything illegal. And since you're carrying all that luggage on your own, you won't need to go through the boring paperwork like the rest. Carry on."

"Thank you good sir." The odd merchant quietly slipped by, returning the guards to their duties. But before he passed through the gates, he turned back to the squad leader one more time. "Oh and by the way. You wouldn't happen to know where I can find the item shop Recettear, would you?"

The guards tilted their heads in confusion. "Recettear? That little store with the strange name?"

"Yes that one." He nodded. "I was hoping to sell some of my wares there. If you could point me in the right direction, I would be most grateful."

"This is a big city." The head guard explained. "It'll be hard to find a specific store. But I heard that it's been gaining popularity. Last I heard, it was near the Pub at the plaza. You'll probably find someone who knows it there. But the pub only opens at night so you'll have to wait for awhile until the festival dies down a bit."

**(Plaza)**

"Teehee." Recette let out a childish chuckle as she made her way through the thick crowd. She held her little badge high above her face like she just won a prize of the century and was showing it off to everyone around her. Ever since the chance encounter with her 'Prince', the smile on her face grew wider, if that was even humanly possible. It almost looked as if the girl's expression was locked to that mode for the rest of the day.

"Will you please stop with that ridiculous smile?" The grey fairy asked, getting irked of her partner's gleeful grin. "You're look dumb."

"Ahehehe. I can't help it." Recette replied still holding onto her little token. "My handsome prince just gave me a present on our second meeting. It must be destiny that we met on such a lucky day. Uwa… this is why I love festivals."

"I thought you loved it because of the free food."

"Oh that comes first. But a pure maiden's heart always comes first."

"Pure maiden?" Tear interject only to stop herself. "Never mind. In either case, you shouldn't readily accept a stranger's invitation for a meal. He could've been a thief for all we know."

"If he was a thief then he was probably a good one. Because he stole my heart." Recette added gleefully like a love-struck child.

"Ugh… I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Aww… don't worry Tear. You'll always be my number one so you don't have to be jealous."

"What makes you think I'm jea—hey!" To the fairy's surprise, Recette grabbed her by her waist and pulled her in for a soft and warm embrace.

"Awww… I wouldn't trade my Tear for anything or anyone in the world."

"S… stop that! I told you not to show such display of affection in public!" Tear tried to pry her way out but failed. She felt her body tickled till she began chuckling. "Stop it! People are watching us!"

"Come on. Say it. I love~~ you."

"Alright, alright. I give. I… love you too." Recette let go and again her smile brightened. "Goodness. If there wasn't a day that I didn't have to worry about getting snagged, it would be all too soon."

"Ahehehe. That's better. Now come on! Let's get something to eat." The shopkeeper quickly hopped towards the next destination which was unsurprisingly the food stalls.

From there, you could see tables lined up neatly with benches on each side and to no one's surprise, there were barrels of beer and wine stored on each end making them look like quick drink dispensers.

The smell of alcohol was so strong that even Tear could smell it all the way from her tiny nose. "Ugh. The stench is daunting. This place is so thick in alcohol, you may as well close the pub."

"Uwa… there has to be at least a bagillion of them here!" Recette added. "I guess they're really going all out for the festival."

"A little too much if you ask me." The little fairy sighed before her sights suddenly caught a petty thief sighing with her. "Oh… you."

"Yo Recette and… Extra #1." Charme greeted the two with a little dejected face.

"Who are you calling an Extra!?"

Recette quickly smiled back nodding to her friend. "Good afternoon Charme. You here for the free food too?"

"Undoubtedly she's here for the free drinks."

"Ding ding, give the fairy a prize." Charme chimed back much to Tear's annoyance. "I am here for drinks… and a little bit of food but unfortunately they're only open in the evening."

"Wha! No way!" Recette's heart broke.

"Yeah. It's a bummer. What's a lady got to do to get lush this time of day?"

"There's a reason why people don't sell booze this early in the morning." Tear groaned. "If they did, then productivity of this city will plummet because people get drunk 24/7!"

The thief ignored her reasons and sighed again. "That's just the problem with this town. They're letting a prime opportunity of selling booze in the festival. It's a time to party so why not cut loose with the rules once in awhile, neh?"

"You are hopeless."

But then quickly enough, Charme popped an idea in her head. "Hey Recette. You own a store, right?"

"Huh? Ah… yeah. I think." The girl answered timidly.

"How about you sell booze to me early in the morning and I'll pay ya 200% of the price."

"Don't influence her!" Tear rebuked.

But Recette had no idea of such a thing. After being a shopkeeper for so long, she thought that price was everything. But never had she dealt with anything as beer before.

"Sorry Charme, but we don't have any kind of booze in the store. Maybe next time."

The thief clicked her tongue in response. "Tsk. I guess that's to be expected. What a bummer. If you started selling even those cheap wines, some adult customers might pay ya a visit. Haa… another fun event ruined by the boring one."

"I'm standing right here you know!"

"Oh? Tear? When did you get here? I didn't even notice you seeing as how small you are." Charme added only to fume the little Fay's irritation.

"Why you little…!" Tear was about to trounce her but was stopped by her partner.

"Now now. No fighting you two. Behave." Recette warned. "We're in a festival after all. So we should be in our best behavior."

"Hear that Tear?" Charme teased. "You should listen to your big sister. You can't go being a bad girl. Later you two. I'll see you this evening when the place is open."

"Wait! Come back here you two faced timer!"

"Now now Tear. Don't sulk." After the thief was gone, Recette released her partner and smiled back.

"I am not sulking. I just wanted to give that half-troll a piece of my mind."

"Teehee. Come now. Good friends shouldn't fight."

Tear raised a brow. "In which part of that conversation did you ever think we were friend!?"

"If you were angry at what she said, then that means you're friends." Recette explained only to earn another groan from the Fay.

"I don't even want to argue with that perspective." Tear face palmed. But then their attention was quickly called in when a familiar voice rung their names.

But as the conversation was going, Recette suddenly had a thought. "Hey Tear. Why don't we sell booze at our store?" The fairy raised her brow in curiosity. "I mean, like what Charme said: If we sold booze at our place, we can probably make some big bucks since everyone buys them by the bottle. I was wondering why we didn't thought of it earlier."

"Well it's… because…"

"Because…?"

"I… don't like the smell."

"The smell?" Recette looked back, puzzled.

"Tear? Recette?" Louie the swordsman noted them. Judging from the sweat on his brow and the dampness of his clothes, you could tell that the boy had been hard at work doing all sorts of manual labor. He had been carrying logs, building signs and handling all the menial work like a true laborer who held himself high among the crowd. Even the gloves that he wore seemed to be on the verge of tearing themselves apart if. If it weren't for them, he probably would've had more blisters on his hands than seamstress. "What are you two doing here? The food stalls aren't opening until this evening."

"Oh Louie…" The shopkeeper replied. "Yeah. We just heard. Such a sad thing to have to wait for food."

"Tell me about it." The boy agreed with an equal sigh. "It's like telling a kid to wait for midnight before he can open his presents. I guess they can't afford people pigging out in the middle of the day. Elan was turned away a few hours ago too. I'm betting my money on him winning the drinking contest later tonight."

"It would certainly be a good investment." Tear agreed. "Though I do not wish for alcohol to be mixed with my food, I enjoy the sight of drunkards making a fool of themselves."

"Somehow I get the feeling that you have a different reason to like that contest." Louie sweat dropped. "So are you out shopping? If you're looking for something to kill time with, there's a café that serves some delicious ice-cream and some games being held there."

"Ooooh! Ice cream! That's like my sixth favorite food before ramen and gyouza!" Recette cheered. "What about you Louie? Aren't you gonna eat too?"

The swordsman rubbed the back of his hair with a shake of his head. "Maybe another time. I still have a lot of work to do before my shift ends. Oh by the way. Have you two seen anything odd lately?"

"Odd?" Tear chimed.

"Yeah. People have been going around seeing something weird happening around the festival. Like empty boxes moving around, a red haze coming between them or something."

"Boxes moving on their own and a red haze? A mystery!"

Tear stopped her partner from continuing. "We haven't seen anything like that. But then again we just arrived here a few minutes ago so we wouldn't know."

Louie nodded. "I guess it's probably the sun playing tricks on those poor guys. You two enjoy yourself and try not to get into trouble!" He raised his voice as he ran off to his next job in the distance.

Tear could not help but admire the boy's dedication to his work. Despite being a teen, he handled himself professionally and diligently. It would be no wonder why his service was in high demand around the city.

"Louie really is a hard worker, an't he?" Recette added cheerfully to which her partner nodded.

"Yes. He really is. Unlike some people I know, he's a person who earns his wage through honest work. People should use him as an example of a diligent member of society. He will be respected in this world, I'm sure."

"Maybe we should buy him something." The shopkeeper recommended. "He's been working really hard for us in the last few months. Especially that deal with Griff and Arma."

"Hmm… that wouldn't be such a bad idea." The fairy agreed nodding. "Though he may not look it, he is quite strong as an adventurer. He also saved this town twice over. It would be proper for us to reward such actions with something even if others are ignorant of it."

"Yeah. Well he was our first after all."

"Don't say it like that."

"Eh? Say what?" Tear could only palm her face not wanting to explain the deeper meaning of that sentence.

"Never mind." Tear dropped the subject. "Let's go. I'm sure we can find something suitable for him around the plaza. It would certainly be a productive use of our time before the restaurant opens."

**(Gustav residence)**

The party was almost in full swing at the prestigious residence of the Gustave family that afternoon. Guests from all over the city, from the common nobles to the aristocrats from the mayor's office began to enter through the flowered gates of the estate. Everywhere you looked you can feel the class going higher and higher as more important citizens and notable names are announced.

Lord Gustav, the host of this party was at the center along with General Nilbert who remained by his side ever greasing the palms of each fellow that pass them by.

"Ah, at last—some culture and class." The Baron declared as he saw the grandeur of the party slowly coming to place. "Spending a day in such a place makes me almost forget the long arduous journey from the capital and the city's filth. I must say that this is will be quite a grand evening for all of us, my friend."

"Indeed Baron." Lord Gustav agreed. "The Harvest Festival is one of few activities that this city celebrates every year. The food will be bountiful this season I am sure."

"As long as we don't have to see that sorry sight, I will be fine. To meet such educated and civilized folk will make up the transgressions."

"Then perhaps we should begin with the wine?" Lord Gustav offered which the Baron gladly accepted a glass. "Here's to our long lasting transaction. I was hoping we could make the arrangements for our deal but I'm afraid…"

"No need to apologize." Nilbert waved it off. "It will take a month before the Royal Army arrives. We have all the time in the world for our little… preparations. A little civilized entertainment shouldn't be ignored."

Their laugh was however, cut short, when Maree's voice cut through them. "Look at you two. It's barely past the better part of the afternoon and already you're drinking." Her presence alone shoved all the guests and servants aside as she strode in unannounced into the hall. Her dress went incoherent with the crescent tattoo on her eye and the jewels that she decorated her body with, glittered as if they were trying to outshine the sun itself.

"My dear. Surely you can give me and my good friend one bottle for the afternoon." The man of the house pleaded.

"You say one bottle… but I know better." Maree added before turning her attention to the military officer at his side. "And you, Sir Rivelle. It's been awhile."

"That it has, milady." The man bowed shallowly, an unwilling smile upon his lips. "It seems plainly obvious where your daughter's beauty and elegance comes from."

"Hmph. So you say…" The lady shrugged his flattery off like they were air hitting a wall. She didn't feel amused by his presence but showed no signs of discontent as she tolerated his presence. Awhile later, she returned her gaze to her husband. "At the very least, moderate your drinking and save something for the guest my love. Unlike the gods, I lack the capacity turn water into wine."

"You tease me my dear."

She smirked. "I speak from experience. Perhaps I should bring that cheap swivel that you've kept in our basement as a late snack."

The master of the house immediately panicked. "No! Of course not! There's no need to go that far. I'll be good. I promise."

"Good." Maree went on her way but stopped short. "Oh… and don't forget to entertain the mayor this time. I already have my hands full with the representatives of the Merchant's Guild."

"Yes of course my dear." Her husband bowed shyly. "By the way, have you seen Alouette? I haven't seen her since breakfast."

"I sent our daughter on an errand." She answered sternly nearly frightening the two men. "Concern yourself with the situation at hand and nothing else, you hear?"

"Y… yes dear."

**(Plaza)**

Back at the plaza, Recette and her partner were enjoying a rather eventful afternoon having a brief lunch in a small meadow near the plaza. From that perfect spot where the rooftops blocked the sun and the gentle breeze rustling through the trees, it felt as if the whole world was at peace. Were it not for the constant noise of music and chatter from the plaza, even the monks from the monasteries would feel more secluded here than their homes.

"Hua… I wish everyday would be festival day. That way I won't have to work so often." The adorable shopkeeper said out loud after picking a spot by the grass.

"If that were the case, the world would spiral into chaos and anarchy would rule the day." Tear explained hoping to get the girl to understand the dilemma of her statement.

"That doesn't sound too bad. No work means more free time for us."

"Productivity would plummet greatly. Economy would crash and prices will skyrocket everywhere."

Recette thought of it and looked around. "Hmm… that does sound bad. But if people would celebrate every day, then there won't be problems if they enjoy the festival."

"Nothing will be produced, ever."

"Uwa! But the candy store always closes during festival! That would be horrible!"

"That's what you're concerned about!?" Tear face-faulted. "Anarchy and chaos would rule by your sentence yet the only thing standing between us and Armageddon is a candy store? The universe is saved…" You can practically taste the sarcasm from her tone. "Still… I do enjoy a festival once in awhile. It doesn't come every day so we may as well spend the most out of it."

"Yeseri! And a good way to start it off is a good old fashion top of the line, PB&J!"

"PB… wha?" Tear looked at her partner with a confused glance as Recette pulled out a few containers of assorted flavors. "What is that?"

"It's PB&J silly. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

"I understand the acronyms. But what I don't understand is how you can mix such things together?" Tear adjusted her glasses as she watched Recette splatter the two spread on a cut walnut bread. "What kind of mixture compliments the thickness of peanut butter with the sweet texture of jam?"

"Don't judge a book just because the cover is black and white." Recette added cheerfully. "Sometimes if you look inside you'll find a nice drawing or two between the pages!"

"Ha?" Again, the fairy was unable to grasp the mind of her partner who seemed to have taken a metaphor out of context. "Does that even make sense anymore?"

"Come on, try it." But just as Recette was about to offer one of her finely made PB&J, a loud yell suddenly caught their attention.

"Find her!" A patrol of guards rushed forward, darting their eyes as if in search of someone. "Damn. Where'd she go?"

"That slimy fox. We had her for sure!"

"Spread out and search the area." The leader of the group ordered. "She couldn't have gotten far!"

"It seems like the guards are after someone." Tear noted the obvious.

"Wow! So there really are crooks in this time and age." Recette added only for her partner to sigh.

"Crook is such a vulgar word. I prefer the term 'Visceral avoiders of the Law'."

"Visebal… wha?"

"Well it should not be a surprise." Tear continued. "Knowing how big this festival was, there's bound to be elements who would wish to take advantage of such situations. We should remain vigilant."

"Does that mean we get to play Cops and Robbers?" Recette asked with gleaming eyes. "I've always wanted to play that game ever since I was little. It must be pretty awesome. Chasing down crooks, yelling out—'Reach for the sky punk!' or… 'Hands where I can see'em' or maybe… 'Your money or your life!'"

"That last one sounded like something a bandit would say. But no. We are not going against crooks. We should leave the fighting to the guards and Adventurers."

"Hey! Who you callin a crook?" A voice caught them by surprise.

"Who's there!?" Tear demanded, rushing into defensive mode while Recette squeaked.

"Bwah! A crook! Stop in the name of all that is cuteness!"

"What are you two babbling about?" A familiar purple haired woman came from behind the alley, peeking at the two.

Tear immediately recognized the owner of the voice. It was a customer who frequented Recettear for the last few months. But it was a customer that Tear hated the most. With lavender eyes that matched her hair, wearing a dark blue jacket and pants that covered a light yellow shirt underneath, exposing a bit of her belly, came one of the few humans that Tear came to despise.

"Euria…" Tear's lips twisted in a frown as she saw the woman made her entrance like a common stalker. There was a reason for this expression. Ever since their first meeting, Euria had been a thorn in Recettear's side. She was both a 'customer' of their establishment and a con-artist who plotted scam after scam against the citizens of Pensee. Every time she visited their place, she would weave a silly-make-believe story that would bring Recette to tears and selling some cheapskate item for a ridiculous price. All of her sales made a mockery of the gray fairy's finance records. And it was thanks to her that Recette almost missed the mark on the last day of her debt.

Tear had a special place for schemers like her in her heart. Right outside of it where it's cold and wet. She dealt with many scammers like her back in the days with Terme Finance Company and when you try to cheat your way with one of the biggest racketeering operations ever, you usually find yourself a one way trip to the coal mines. But for some reason, Euria has been able to remain under the radar and kept herself afloat thanks to the effort of an innocent girl who actually believed her stories.

"Oh hello again Euria. Did you come for the all you can eat buffet? Sorry but they say that it won't be open until this evening."

"Free food? Bah. What kind of idiot would fall for such a cheap skate con? No profit, no interest."

"Why am I not surprise?" Tear folded her arms giving a fierce gaze that all scammers deserve. "I'm guessing you are the crook the guards were after earlier. Please wait here while I call upon them."

"Ah! H… hey wait a second!" The purple haired prankster pleaded. "Let's not be too hasty. Why'd you have to be so prickly?"

"It is a citizen's duty to report all suspicious and criminal actions to the local gendarme." The fairy added before pulling her partner away. "Come Recette, let us not stay near such ill element less we be considered as accomplices."

"Huh? Wh… wha?"

"Hey hold on!" Again, Euria stopped them. "Alright fine, you caught me. Geez. You really can't beat a loan-shark at her game."

Satisfied with her answer, Tear returned and released her friend. "So what acts of infamy are you performing this time? I'm guessing with the amount of guards out looking for you, you must've done something indecent."

"Those guys in gray are totally overreacting!" Euria defended. "I was jut out for a walk selling some new thingamagick when they started chasing me. I had to run for my life."

"I fear to ask what this… thingamagick is…"

"A thinga…ma… thing?" Recette tried to keep up but failed. "Uh… so what were you selling people?"

A grin flashed over Euria's face. "It's totally legit I tell ya. I just got some booze bottles from the back of the pub and decided to sell them back."

"That doesn't sound illegal." Tear noted before pausing in her sentence. "Wait… what were these bottles filled with?"

The grin on her face grew even wider. "That's the trick. It's not booze at all. I just filled them empty bottles with water! Three times the profit, ½ the cost."

"And you wonder why the guards chased you?" Tear face palmed herself.

"Then aren't you just selling water in a bottle?"

"Details details…" Euria clicked her tongue. "They won't know the difference until they open it and by that time, it'll be too late." She then showed the pair a sample of her product. It was a regular bottle sold in the pub, but its label was worn out from the water in was drenched in. "Easy money."

"I wonder if that easy money is worth the time spent in the big house?"

But just as Recette was about to add more, the voice of the guards suddenly caught her attention. "There she is! Over there!"

"Ah fishsticks! Not again!" Euria bolted on the first sign.

The guards quickly came to Recette's side with a scowl on their faces. "Dang scoundrel! As if selling fake booze wasn't enough, you trying to sell them to minors too!? After her! Get the horses if you have to!"

And just like that, the wave of human hurricanes rushed by, leaving Recette and Tear behind.

"I sure hope they don't hurt her."

Tear shrugged. "If she's lucky, she'll spend the next year doing community service. It would be an ironic change to see her do something selfless for a change."

A sweat dropped from Recette's head. "Oh come on. Don't be like that Tear. She's a good person… I think…"

**(Orphanage)**

"There, that should do it." Louie said to himself as he put the final touch onto the small wooden board that hung at the top of the entrance. The big bold words spelling 'Lemonade Stand' with a cute orange mascot on the side with a smiley face made all the difference for a side shop. "The Orphanage Lemonade Stall is now officially open for business."

The children below cheered gleefully at the young swordsman who felt like a champion for the day. The whole orphanage was raising funds that day along with the festival. Apparently someone suggested using the fruits that the caretakers have been collecting as a way to raise a little extra cash for the kids. Though it was an old idea, it definitely had its effect on the local populace.

It didn't take long for Elan to get the kids to work by manning stands pretending to be salesmen like Recette. It almost felt refreshing to see all these tiny balls of energy run around until they're out of juice.

"Alright kids, what do you say to our friend here?" The priest in training questioned the little tikes.

"Thank you Mr. Louie."

The boy who was cheered and bowed upon felt his cheeks turn red for a bit as he rubbed the back of his head, not sure whether he was grateful or embarrassed. "No problem at all. You kids have fun now." He didn't even have to tell them when they all scattered to their stations.

He then felt Elan's hand tapping his shoulder. "Phew. Thanks for the assist there. You really save me on a whole lot of mess."

Louie looked at the man puzzled on how he could have helped just by writing on a board. "It wasn't really a problem. But why did you ask me to do something so simple? Couldn't you have written it yourself?"

"Easier said than done." The swordsman gave a quizzical look. "You see these hands of mine? They aren't just for show you know. Do you know how hard it is for someone with these hands to write such bold letters? It's not easy."

"Ah… I guess that makes sense."

The monk laughed. "Tell me about it. The first time I visited this place, I literally had to fix every doorknob and windows I came across. I even broke the roof once. I literally rebuilt half of this orphanage with my own two hands."

Louie sweat dropped. "It… must be really tough having such a… handicap."

"No kidding." Elan chuckled. "Oh by the way. You joining the all you can eat and drink at the plaza later?"

"Wouldn't miss it. Free food and drinks and for once you don't have to worry about the tab."

"Three days in paradise." The priest in training made a salute to the heavens as if he was thanking the gods for granting Pensee such a time every year. "If I drown in booze… tell the guys they don't need to perform CPR."

"Just don't get drunk before the competition." Louie advised him. "I have money counting on you winning the match tonight."

"Ha! That one's in the bag."

As the two Adventurers laughed the day off, one of the orphans quietly approached them with a panicked look on her face. "Uncle Elan! Uncle Elan!"

"Oh? What's up? Did we sell out already?"

The little girl shook her head in reply. "No, it's Caillou. He won't come out of his room."

"Huh? Him again? Wasn't he supposed to be the centerpiece for this sale?" The monk reminded himself.

"We tried to get him out, but he turned the door to ice. We can't get in."

"Ice?" Louie looked back puzzled. He questioned why a young magician would use magic in such a time and place.

"Ah man… not this again." The monk groaned. "This was his idea to begin with. He should be out here helping everyone else."

The two quickly arrived at the orphanage, and true to the girl's words, the door was indeed frozen solid. From the wooden frames to its iron bolt hinges, all had been turned to ice sealing it permanently in a state of stasis. Obviously it was the work of magic if Louie ever saw one.

"Oh boy. He really did it this time." Elan rubbed his head in irritation before knocking on the door. "Hey! Caillou! What in the world are you doing? Come on out."

"I refuse!" A voice from behind the door barked like a bear in its lair. "There's no way I'm coming out with this… this… revolting sense of a…"

"Oh come on now. This was your idea. You've gotta lend a hand too."

"All I ever said was using the fruits at the backyard! I never agreed to this…"

"The lemonade stand can't operate fully without its leader." Elan pleaded. "Now come on out. It'll be a great chance for you to bond with everyone."

"Never! I'm never coming out! I'd rather be burned at the stake than to be seen in this outfit!"

Again the monk sighed. "Well… I guess you leave me no choice." He pumped his fists together rubbing them as if he was trying to spark fire out of his fingers.

"Uh… Elan?" Louie backed away realizing that he was about to do one of his signature moves. "Are you sure you'd wanna do that?"

But the monk waved off the boy's worries. "Don't worry. Like I said, I built half of this orphanage myself. Oooh! Kurai… YAGARE!" And without even waiting for a reply, the monk crushed the frozen door with his burning gauntlets plunking the boy from the other side. "Gotcha."

"Let me go you fake priest!" The young magician demanded as he was grabbed from the collar of his new uniform. Louie expected to see the usual green robes that the boy constantly wore around the city but instead, Caillou was dressed as a…

… something…

The young swordsman couldn't really tell if the costume was a fruit or some kind of vegetable. It almost looked like someone just put a bunch of cloths together and gave paintbrushes to a bunch of six-year-olds. There was a fish tail, cat ears and he thinks there's a bush on its back.

"Well aren't you adorable." Elan teased as he put the whiny mage down. Immediately following was a group of younger kids clamping onto Caillou like he was a mascot.

"This humiliation… this shame… it cannot stand!" Caillou was almost tempted to use his magic to obliterate the costume and everyone around him but the kids stopped him from doing so.

"Oh don't be silly. You look great… and the kids love you. You should consider it an honor to play the leading role in your own plan." Elan hid a chuckle under his mouth.

"You lie! You stupid fake priest! I hate you! I'll never forgive you for this!"

"Big brother Caillou!" Children from the stands immediately came scampering on the boy's costume, pulling him to their side. "Come on! We got lots of lemonade to sell and we need you to attract customers!"

"H… hey! Don't pull me! This costume is fragile!"

"Heheh… do your best out there!" Elan cheered from behind all the while snickering. "Make sure you get a lot of customers!"

"Darn you, you fake priest! I won't forget this!"

Louie sweat dropped from behind. "Uh… Elan. Try to make sure that little stunt of yours doesn't come and bite you back later on."

"Don't worry. That kid might act all tough and mature but deep inside he's still a little tike."

"You really know him well… huh?"

The big man laughed. "I've known him his whole life. You wouldn't believe the amount of diapers I had to change on him when he was just a kid. Anyway… I should probably get to fixing this door before the caretakers find out what happened. Wouldn't want to get into trouble with them again."

"Aha… ha…" Louie forced a laugh.

**(Marketplace)**

Recette and Tear were out on the other side of the city that afternoon after their encounter with the con-artist. The marketplace which they often came for everyday supplies for the store was just as busy as it were in the plaza. Though many of the stalls were closed off for the day the more dedicated merchants made a point to make a profit regardless of the events.

Replacing many of the stands that stood out for selling scarves, clothes and shoes, were the game stalls which attracted both children and adults to the prizes that they had in store. One of them was a bucket filling contest where players had to use water-hoses to fill up as many buckets as they could.

"Glee! I won!" Recette was one such player who had just scored 2nd place in her prize. "Yepperoni! That's 10 points for capitalism! Ho!"

"Nice shooting there young lady. Too bad you had to miss that last one." The attendant congratulated the girl before handing out her prize. "Here ya go. Pick your prize, any color you want."

"Oh I like blue." The girl gleefully took a cerulean handkerchief from the stall and went on her merry way back. "Phwaa. That was so much fun. I haven't had this much game time since the circus visited the city."

"I see you are enjoying yourself." Tear motioned, sitting on the girl's shoulder. "But please do refrain from spending too much. You'd be surprised how fast money can burn in these kinds of events."

"Ahehehe. Don't be sad Tear. There's plenty of fish in the sea."

"That has nothing to do with this!" The fairy barked back in embarrassment. Apparently, the Fey had spent about half of her pocket money earlier trying to catch a fish in one of those stalls using a plastic sheet spoon but failed miserably every time. "That game was a total scam! How in the world is anyone supposed to catch a fish with such a tiny fabric? If it wasn't for the consolation prize he gave out, I would've reported him to the authorities."

Recette let out a sweat. "Ah… well… I guess all's well ends well. But check this out. I got myself a new hanky! an't it pretty?"

There was just no beating that smile of Recette. Despite Tear's irritation of that fishing game, she couldn't help but feel relaxed whenever that girl shows that smile of hers. It felt calming for her and she believes that's one of the many reasons why customers chose to buy from Recettear.

"Well… if you're enjoying yourself, then I suppose I'll let it pass. How about you get some refreshments before the food fest starts."

"Yepperoni! Two cold drinks for two ladies." And just like the energetic child that she was, Recette bolted off to the nearest food stand forgetting her newly acquired handkerchief on a cardboard box nearby.

"Merde… running off without even checking your pockets. I fear of what might happen if I wasn't around. Now I'll just have to follow and…"

"Tada! Two cold drinks for two ladies!"

Tear nearly fell backward when Recette mystically reappeared in front of her. "Wha? How in the world did you get them so fast!? It's barely been a ten seconds."

"Never underestimate the power of thirst and hunger!" Recette cheered with the two cups in hand. "Now come on. There's another game I wanna try over there." But just as she reached out to grab her handkerchief, the cardboard box suddenly moved forward just out of her reach. "Uweh?"

"Hmm? What's the matter?" Tear questioned looking back at the girl.

"Was it… my imagination?" Recette reached out again and just as before, the box moved forward out of her reach. "Uwah! Did you see that?" The fairy nodded.

"Is there some sort of animal inside?"

But then Recette suddenly recalled what Louie told her. "Hey wait. Didn't Louie say something about strange things happening around the place? Something about moving boxes and a red haze?"

"Hmm… now that you mentioned it…" Tear made a thought. "But wait. Doesn't this kind of remind you of…" But just before she could finish her sentence, the box suddenly bolted away like a dog whose tail just got stepped on. "It ran?"

"Hey! My new hanky!" Recette shouted alarmingly. "Stop in the name of the law!" But to no surprise, the box did not obey. "Come back! Thief! The box thief stole my hanky! Come on Tear, let's chase them!"

The grey fairy however seemed to have a sense of déjà vu set around her. "Wait… could that be…"

"Tear! What are you waiting for? It's getting away!"

"Ah right of course." And the grand chase began.

From that little marketplace, Recette went after the crawling box like a lady possessed. The cardboard box went on a steaming rampage across the district running away like its own tail was on fire. It tore through stands, earning a yell from several clerks and salesmen. It then tripped over a housewife who was taking in the groceries and a man who just bought a new sword. Fortunately the blade was still in its scabbard.

"Stop right there you crook! You can't get away from Sheriff Lemongrass and her Deputy Ace Detective! Your days are numbered!"

This time, the box straddled through a game stand breaking the support beams that held the tent together. Without them, the fabric on top came down crashing along with all the other furniture in the stand.

"Bwah… how… is it… going… so fast?" After a brief chase, Recette began to feel the fatigue kicking in. She was almost surprised on how the box was able to outrun her despite the advantage she had.

"It appears to be using magic." Tear analyzed much to her partner's surprise. "Yes. I've seen this type of wizardry done before. A semi-flight enchantment. It makes the user more agile by projecting the wind around him or herself in the direction that person is facing. It would explain how it is able to tear through those obstacles so easily."

"Aww! No fair! Magic should be against the rules!" Recette whined. "Tear! Can you do something about that air… slicing magic thingie?"

"I could project a similar enchantment on an object and have it collide with the box. The two forces should cancel one another out and stopping that box dead on its tracks."

"An object? What kind of object?"

"It would have to be something small… but also solid so it wouldn't do too much damage." Tear thought for a moment before darting her eye to the little charm on Recette's pocket. "That badge would make an excellent medium."

"Wha!? No!" Recette jerked back the badge. "This is proof of my Prince's undying love! You can't expect me to just hand it over!"

"Relax. I simply need it to stop that cardboard box monster from wrecking havoc. It will be safe."

"Uweh…" Recette wanted to decline but she also wanted to stop that monster from destroying anymore of the city. "Alright. You promise to give it back the same way you got it, kay?"

"I promise. The magic should shield it from all harm after its collision on that box." Recette painfully and reluctantly gave away her 2nd most prized possession and allowed Tear to invoke her magic on it. To her amazement, the charm began to float and you can see drifts of air circling about as if the spirits themselves were dancing. "There, that should do it."

"Wow… I never knew you could do something like that before." Recette said in amazement, forgetting the price of the object.

"And now we just point it in the direction of the box's collision course, calculate the initial and final velocity divided by time and… there!" The fairy shot the charm over to a corner of the street, and just like she planned, the box went headlong into its path, colliding in a loud noise before rolling down towards a garden. "Bingo…"

"That's awesome! It was a direct bulls-eye!" Recette announced in astonishment as she rushed towards the derailed cardboard box which flipped to its side by a tree. "Gotcha now you crook! Reach for the sky!"

"I believe our suspects are too incapacitated to even move." Tear motioned.

"Bwah! Oh no! We might've hurt Mr. Box Man!" Recette quickly moved in and removed the box only to be surprised to find Alouette and Prime down on the grass, their eyes in spiral and little blue slimes dancing around their heads with stars. "Uweh? Is that… Alouette and… Prime?"

"I thought as much." The grey fairy groaned recalling the same event that happened a few days when Recettear first opened. "The only fairy I know who can use that magic so well is her after all."

"Ugh… my head…" The red clad fairy said through her dozy expression.

**(Plaza)**

Nagi was never one to be showered with praise, but that evening, at the very center of the plaza, she was the center of attention for the crowd. She didn't expect her dance to attract so many people since it was just something the Merchant's Guild ask her to do to boost their sales. She was paid handsomely for her services but she wasn't expecting the perks of fame to follow her.

From children to teens, everyone was asking for her performance like they were tourists from another land. You might wonder if they were attracted to her dance or her beauty. Could be both.

It was thanks to the Guild Master that she was finally given some peace and quiet in her tent behind the dance stage. The Guild Master wanted to keep her there until her next show not because he acted like a jailor, but was afraid of how difficult it would be to find her once she starts walking around these crowded streets. Her sense of direction was (in) famous around Pensee. Some people might get lost in a new street or a new neighborhood, but Nagi takes it on a whole new level.

This woman could probably go from her house to the neighboring store next door and end up in another country entirely.

But the spear wielding woman didn't mind. The dance took a lot out of her and getting some rest before the last show might be nice.

"Lady Nagi." But her solitude was broken when one of her attendant entered the tent. "Your last dance is coming up in a few minutes so I thought I'd give you some tea."

"Oh why thank you. I appreciate it." The lady graciously accepted the drink with heartwarming thanks.

The attendant smiled. "It seems like the crowd outside got bigger since this morning. You're really becoming quite popular with everyone here."

"Oh please, you're embarrassing me." Nagi's face flushed a bit from the praise. "It was simply something I learned back in my hometown. I think I may have gotten a few steps wrong myself."

"But it was really beautiful. You looked like a swan diving onto a pond. It was really graceful and elegant. I've never seen anything like it."

"Now you're just flattering." She chuckled. "But I'm glad that you like it. I hope to do more dances in the future if my Adventurer Job does not interfere."

"I'm sure the restaurants on the other side of the city would love to have you dance for them. I can already picture in one of those giant Amphitheaters with lights works and professional players supporting you. Oh, the audience will be thrilled."

"Now now. The people in the guild are also doing their best here. It's not nice to discredit their work."

"Ah yeah that too. But I was just so amazed you could dance like that. My sister was asking if you could teach her some of those moves."

Nagi let out a laugh. "I would be honored to have such a lovely student. If I'm not so busy I may… hmm?" But then suddenly, the warrior noted a feint presence in the air. She recognized this feeling from her days training with her weapon. It was all too familiar.

"Lady Nagi? Is something wrong?"

The lady stood from her chair, partially wanting to pick up the closest thing that resembled a staff or a spear. "This feeling is…"

"AH! Wait Lady Nagi! Your next dance is coming up. Please don't go outside just yet!"

But Nagi came out anyway. She darted her eyes side to side trying to find the source of that feeling but whoever was holding it in was hiding it well. There were only a few people here at the backstage. Eventually she found a hint of it coming from an oddly dressed man with a straw hat hiding his face. He appears to be conversing with one of the carpenters who were busy maintaining the stands.

By the time she approached them, the man was already on his way out.

"Who was that?" Nagi asked the carpenter who seemed surprise that a famous celebrity like her would be talking to him.

"Oh, Lady Nagi. Please pay him no mind. He's just a merchant passing through the city. He was asking for directions to a store called Re… Rocket-rearing or something."

"You mean Recettear?" The lady caught the name almost instantly.

"Ah yeah. That one. But sadly I live on the other side of the bridge so I have no idea where that is."

"A merchant… you say…?"


End file.
